I Need To See The Monsterverse Tackle Godzilla’s Craziest Unused Villain

Godzilla has already taken on a number of incredible kaiju both in the Monsterverse, but I still need to see the modern Godzilla fight one of the craziest unused kaiju from the Heisei Era. Legendary’s Monsterverse has already developed a relationship with Toho to bring some of the greatest tokusatsu monsters of the last century to life with modern special effects, including Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah. A common conversation point for modern Godzilla fans is which Toho monsters would be the best fit for the new direction of the Monsterverse.

Since Godzilla first stalked out of the sea in 1954’s Godzilla, he has fought dozens of colorful monsters and robots that threaten the Earth, but a number of Godzilla villain concepts have gone unused. Many are simply alternate versions of existing villains, or just monster designs that are reminiscent of monsters that eventually came to the big screen. However, there is one unused Godzilla concept that is far and away the craziest villain that Godzilla would have ever fought, and I need to see the Monsterverse bring it to life with modern special effects.

Ghost Godzilla Is The Restless Spirit Of The 1954 Godzilla

The unused concept called back to Godzilla’s origin

1995’s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah was one of, if not the most important Godzilla movie since the original, as it was planned to be Toho’s final Godzilla film in the Heisei Era before what was planned to be at least a 10-year break. Therefore, a lot of planning went into the concept, and one of the original ideas was to tie the film back to the original 1954 movie. An early draft of the film planned to reintroduce the 1954 monster in the form of Ghost Godzilla, the restless spirit of the 1954 monster which was killed by the Oxygen Destroyer.

The idea got as far as concept art, and the version commissioned by Shinji Nishikawa in 1994 saw Ghost Godzilla possess the body of Godzilla Junior, forcing him to grow rapidly to adult size. The possession and growth resulted in massive tears in his skin and completely white eyes, creating a terrifying new version of the 1954 Godzilla. The concept was ultimately scrapped, as director Takao Okawara reportedly didn’t want to have Godzilla fight a version of himself for the third movie in a row; he had tangled with Mechagodzilla and SpaceGodzilla in the previous two movies.

There Were Multiple Proposed Versions Of Ghost Godzilla

Each one was wilder than the next

The Godzilla Junior possession was only the first idea for how to make Ghost Godzilla come to life. Another draft saw Ghost Godzilla possess Anguirus, who Godzilla famously killed in the sequel to 1954’s Godzilla, Godzilla Raids Again. The possession created a hybrid monster nicknamed Godzirus. Yet another draft saw Ghost Godzilla possess a brand new kaiju nicknamed Baraguirus, who was, as one can guess, a hybrid of Baragon and Anguirus.

Perhaps the wildest proposed version would have been Godzilla vs. Chaos, which once again saw Ghost Godzilla introduced into the franchise. However, in that version, the movie featured a three-way battle between Godzilla, Godzilla Junior, and a new kaiju named Chaos, who was from an alternate dimension. The three monsters would battle for Ghost Godzilla’s bio-energy, which would theoretically enhance their own power. All the Ghost Godzilla-related concepts were eventually discarded in favor of the concept Godzilla vs. Barubaroi, which would eventually evolve into Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.

How Ghost Godzilla Could Exist In The Monsterverse

A precedent exists that could make him possible

The Monsterverse has come a long way since the (relatively) grounded Godzilla of 2014. The most recent movie, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire featured DNA absorption and evolution, a robotic arm for Kong, an anti-gravity battle, and a massive Titan with the power to bring about a new Ice Age. I think it’s safe to say that anything is on the table when it comes to outside-the-box ideas for the Monsterverse, which is why I think the idea of a Ghost Godzilla could actually work for the franchise.

Not only could the idea (with some tweaking to fit the Monsterverse, of course) actually work and be entertaining, there is already some groundwork laid to explain how it’s possible. 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong introduced the idea of a Titan’s consciousness being preserved in its skull or brain; Apex scientist Ren Serizawa piloted a system that provided a psionic link between Ghidorah’s skull and the robot Titan Mechagodzilla. Unfortunately for him, Ghidorah’s consciousness was still in the skull/brain remnants, and it took over Mechagodzilla.

As has been established in the history of the Hollow Earth, Godzilla is not the first of his kind. In ancient times, there was an entire race of Godzilla’s ancestors, just as there were Kong ancestors. We’ve even seen a key member of the species already: the MUTOs from Godzilla gestated in the body/skeleton of a creature named Dagon in the Godzilla: King of the Monsters prequel graphic novel Godzilla: Aftershock. The prequel reveals that Dagon fought one of their species named Jinshin-Mushi, and was infected with the MUTO spores, which absorbed his radiation and killed him.

Dagon could act as the stand-in for the 1954 Godzilla in the Monsterverse, and be the source of Ghost Godzilla. An angry and vengeful Dagon could find a way to pass his consciousness on to a new monster for Godzilla and Kong to battle, allowing the Monsterverse to fully explore the unused concept. I want to see that concept come to life with modern special effects, and as of now there is no idea that seems too wild for the Monsterverse.

Monsterverse

The Monsterverse is a giant kaiju franchise that began in 2014 with Legendary’s Godzilla starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, and Elizabeth Olsen. The film was followed up by Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs Kong, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.