‘Godzilla 2′: Which Classic Monsters Will Appear in the Upcoming Sequel?

In a move that surprised no one after the weekend box office report, 'Godzilla 2' is already in the works and we couldn't be more excited. Director Gareth Edwards' take on the iconic monster is one of the most beautiful and refreshing summer movies in a long time, bending over backwards to build tension and tease the the audience before unleashing a monster mash of a climax that has to be seen to be believed. Of course we want 'Godzilla 2.' We wanted a 'Godzilla 2' the moment the credits rolled.

Of course, there's one big important question: which monster(s) would Godzilla fight in the sequel?

Although 'Godzilla' sees the big guy battling two monsters specially created for the new film, there are dozens of previous established giant monsters (AKA, kaiju) available for the sequel and we expect that this resource will be used. One of the great strengths of the new film is how it treats Godzilla and the "MUTOs" as actual animals, filming them as giant creatures with approximately zero regard for humanity in any way. Seeing this take applied to the creatures in Godzilla's iconic gallery of friends and foes could prove truly fascinating.

So, without further ado, let's dive into this. Let's plow through a list of some of the Godzilla franchise's most famous (and not-so-famous) beasts and see which ones should star in 'Godzilla 2.' More importantly, let's see which ones actually stand a chance of making it into the sequel.

The Monster: Rodan

One of Godzilla's earliest enemies and eventually one of his most faithful allies, Rodan is an odd riff on a pteranodon, resembling a winged dinosaur when he's at his best and a oversized chicken at his worst. Other than his massive wingspan and his ability to fly, he's similar to Godzilla is many respects, capable of standing his own in a one-on-one fight. He may not be the most visually exciting of Godzilla's gallery of fellow monsters, but he carries a certain amount of name recognition and would slide right into the new Godzilla universe without requiring too many changes or too much explanation.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Likely. Rodan is like Godzilla and the MUTOs in that he's just a massive prehistoric beastie who requires only the bare minimum explanation. He wakes up and he's ready to fight and he'll present the King of the Monsters with a tough challenge. There are far more inventive kaiju out there, but Rodan is an effective workhorse.

The Monster: Gamera

Although initially created as an attempt to cash in on Godzilla's box office clout, the giant turtle known as Gamera has become forever linked to his rival, even though they've never actually gone monster-a-monster on the big screen. A giant turtle with the odd habit of walking on his hind legs, Gamera is fast, tough and capable of flying through the air using his rocket powered shell. Yeah, he doesn't make much sense, but he's different enough from Godzilla to make him a potentially unique adversary. The current Godzilla is the Rocky Balboa of monsters (he takes a beating but always stands back up), so what happens when he faces off with a monster with a a strong shell that makes him perfect for long-term battles?

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Unlikely, unfortunately. Although Gamera is frequently listed amongst Godzilla's friends and foes, he's not an official member of the big guy's universe and is owned by another company. However, a Godzilla sequel that brings him into the fold would win over countless fans worldwide.

The Monster: Hedorah

The subtext of the new Godzilla film isn't exactly subtle: mankind has less control of nature than he thinks he does and any attempt to interfere with things beyond our comprehension will only result in our complete and utter defeat. So what happens when the disastrous work of man actually steps up to the challenge and creates a foe worthy of Godzilla's attention? That's basic idea behind Hedorah, an alien entity who devours Earth's pollution and becomes a massive, unstoppable killing machine. It's clunky social commentary, but he means business as a bad guy -- he strips one of Godzilla's hands down to the bone and tears out one of his eyes.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Surprisingly high! We imagine that a modern Hedorah would be radically changed (he wouldn't be an alien, that's for sure), but the idea of Godzilla facing a foe that's the direct result of mankind harming the planet would present our heroic kaiju with a truly unique and thematically resonant challenge.

The Monster: Gigan

Simultaneously silly and awesome, Gigan is one of the most memorable beasts in Godzilla's rogue's gallery. Generally depicted as the mind-controlled puppet of an alien race that wants to destroy the Earth, Gigan is a cyborg monster with a buzzsaw in his chest and hooks for hands. Later films upgraded him into a full-fledged robot, replacing those hooks with chainsaws. In a sea of dinosaurs, he's certainly visually striking, but he also steps far outside the realm of realism established by the new film.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: It's not going to happen. As badass as Gigan's design is, it's unlikely that Godzilla sequels will deal with aliens at all and less likely that any future opponents will be massive robots. Perhaps it's for the best -- the moment you try to update Gigan into something realistic, you start to lose his goofy charm.

The Monster: Minilla

Yes, there is a movie called 'Son of Godzilla' and yes, it's about the literal son of Godzilla. Unlike his father, Minilla is the size of a human being and of a generally genial disposition, hanging out with humans and even teaching kids who to stand up for themselves in the face of bullies. Godzilla's spawn isn't just ugly (he looks literally deformed), he's embarrassing, a reminder of just how low this series and its monsters can get.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Zip. Zero. Nada. Say what you want about the new film, but director Gareth Edwards and his team obviously care far too much about Godzilla to even consider bringing his son on board. However, don't rule out a Minilla appearance in the inevitable animated spin-off series that'll rear its ugly head around 2018 or so.

The Monster: Anguirus

Unique in that he's the first monster Godzilla fought on the big screen, Anguirus would be a perfect sentimental choice for a sequel. Like Godzilla, he's a massive dinosaur, but unlike Godzilla, he walks around on four legs and is covered with spikes, making him visually different enough to warrant serious sequel consideration. Anguirus doesn't get much of an origin story in 1955's 'Godzilla Raids Again' (he's simply awakened on a long-forgotten island), so his blank slate status may make him perfect for the new films. He can be whatever the director and writers want him to be.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Somewhat likely. There are other far more famous kaiju that deserve to be resurrected first, but don't count Anguirus out yet. If future sequels feature large monster line-ups, we imagine he'll definitely be included.

The Monster: Mechagodzilla

Depending on the film, Mechagodzilla is either a Godzilla impostor created by aliens to slander the creature's good name or a device built by the United Nations to act as the ultimate monster deterrent. In both cases, he's all kinds of silly. As we've already established, it's highly unlikely that future films will deal with aliens in any way and there's no way the relatively grounded universe of the new films will allow for the human race to build something so impossibly extravagant as a giant robot monster shaped like Godzilla. Still, there's no denying the fact that he looks awesome and his rainbow eye blasts are just totally fabulous.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Not gonna' happen. First, it's about twenty shades too silly for the rebooted Godzilla universe. Second, the idea of robots fighting monsters is sooo 'Pacific Rim' and that movie didn't work out for anyone.

The Monster: Mothra

One of the most famous of Godzilla's adversaries and allies, Mothra is second only to the big guy in terms of fame and name recognition. Unlike most of the other kaiju, Mothra tends to be a more passive creature, only wreaking havoc and destroying cities when she and her children are threatened (or when Godzilla needs help taking down a bigger threat). As her name implies, Mothra is a giant moth, which makes her the rare kaiju who is constantly in flight. Sure, Godzilla has fought plenty of winged monsters, but Mothra is his fastest and most difficult to catch foe. She presents a challenge that's unique to all of the other contenders for a spot in the sequel.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Very likely. Mothra is too famous and too well liked to be ignored and we'd be shocked if she's left out of the next sequel. Heck, the new film even features an easter egg appearance of her cocoon!

The Monster: King Ghidorah

Even if you don't know his name, you've seen King Ghidorah. The Joker to Godzilla's Batman, this three-headed dragon is the big guy's arch nemesis and most famous adversary. There are many reasons why these two hate each other so much (and in typical fashion, they never remain consistent between films), but he's always a welcome bad guy because he's just plain badass. Seemingly designed to out-Godzilla Godzilla, he's a massive lizard with huge wings and three vicious heads, giving him the upper hand in any fight. Even his extraterrestrial origins are cooler than most other kaiju -- he's responsible for wiping out countless other planets and Earth just happens to be the next planet in his path. Of course, he didn't count on Godzilla being there to protect his turf.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: 100%. Seriously. We'd put good money on King Ghidorah playing the role of main adversary in the next Godzilla movie (even though we suspect his origin will be tweaked). He just looks too cool and would present a truly crazy and different challenge for the Earth's kaiju champion. If two MUTOs can present a challenge for Godzilla, imagine him taking on a bigger and stronger opponent with three brains.

The Monster: King Kong

In one of the most widely mocked showdowns in cinematic history, Godzilla once battled King Kong and managed to tarnish the legacy of both giant beasts. Forget the fact that the giant ape from Skull Island inexplicably quadrupled in size to face Japan's legendary dinosaur. Forget the fact that all of Kong's pathos vanished in his transformation into a kaiju. Forget the fact that this is King Kong in name only and that him battling Godzilla just feels plain wrong. Actually...don't forget any of that. Remember it well and realize that this is why you never want to see King Kong battle Godzilla again.

Chance of a 'Godzilla 2' Appearance: Between various rights issues (Universal owns the rights to King Kong while 'Godzilla 2' will be set up at Warner Bros.) and the fact that 'King Kong vs. Godzilla' is a huge, embarrassing joke in a film series full of bad films, chances are strong that a rematch between these two will never, ever happen.