Does Anyone Really Want to See Kong vs. Godzilla?

So I just finished watching Kong: Skull Island again, and then I immediately watched the trailer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. I like Skull Island, it's the sort of film that allows you to switch off and just enjoy the big monkey beating the shit out of a big skeleton lizard thing. This being said, the Godzilla trailer doesn't excite me at all, and the reason for that is simple: There's only so many times you can watch two monsters fight, and I think I've reached my limit.

Let's be honest, there was no need for more origin stories. Even if you haven't seen any of their countless films, we all know who Godzilla and King Kong are. One's a giant lizard with radioactive breath, and the other's a giant monkey with normal breath and a soft spot for human women. Therefore, the decision to not only give both characters an origin film, but also to give Godzilla a sequel before we see the two titans do battle has further exhausted the franchise.

Yes, the thought of seeing the two fight is cool. Yes, monster movies are entertaining. But from the look of King of Monsters, the plot appears to be identical to the first, except this time Godzilla is fighting a wide variety of bad guys. I'm sure at some point Godzilla will be helped by the humans, because we have to prove that Godzilla needs us just as much as we need him.

Another problem with this film is neither Godzilla or King Kong is a bad guy. This creates a situation similar to Batman vs. Superman and Captain America: Civil War, in which two good guys fight before forgiving each other and teaming up to fight the true villain. In some cases, this is done well (the long-lasting effect of Civil War's fallout), and in others, it is done very poorly indeed (Save Martha). One thing's for certain though, neither Godzilla or King Kong will be the overall villain of the piece. And so, when it seems like all is lost and one friendly monster is about to destroy the other friendly monster, a new threat will undoubtedly arise, causing King Kong and Godzilla to forget all about their fight and unite to destroy the new threat.

This shared universe shares similarities to the failed "Dark Universe," which attempted to kickstart a horror character shared universe. Like the Godzilla franchise, it all revolved around a mysterious organisation with ties to all the villains. In the case of Godzilla, this organisation is Monarch, and it will be interesting to see whether or not the company closes its doors in the wake of the epic showdown. It does not seem like the cinematic universe can exist beyond 2020, but if it does, it will be very interesting to see the direction these characters head in. It will also be interesting to see just how many new monsters they can make for these two to fight.

Whilst I am not excited for the Godzilla sequel, I am intrigued to see how the two are played against one each other. With the current desperation to build a cinematic universe, I can't help but feel Godzilla vs. Kong would have been more enjoyable as a single film. Still, I'm sure the post-credits scene of King of Monsters will hint at Kong's involvement. Who knows, maybe I'll be eating my words when the 36th entry into the Godzilla franchise hits the big screen.