Watch order guide · MonsterVerse

How to watch the Godzilla and Kong movies in order

Updated October 21, 2026 · 8 min read · 7 titles · 29 hours

Watch the MonsterVerse in release order from Godzilla (2014). Kong: Skull Island is set in 1973, so it comes first in story order. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters fills the gaps between eras and is optional.

Titles

7

Films

5

Series

2

Watch time

29 hours

Box office

$2.52 billion

Avg IMDb

6.4

Godzilla and Kong movies in release order

Here is every Godzilla and Kong (MonsterVerse) title in the order it came out, 2014 to 2024: 5 films and 2 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.

Godzilla and Kong timeline: movies in chronological order

The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.

Release or chronological: which order is best?

Release order and story order disagree on 5 titles here. In release order you start with Godzilla (2014); in story order you start with Kong: Skull Island, set in 1973, which came out 3 years later.

First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns the MonsterVerse into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.

Where to start

Every Godzilla and Kong movie, explained

One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.

No. 01 · 2014 · Film · 2h 3m · 2nd in story order

Godzilla

Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when an ancient alpha predator arises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity. The creatures leave colossal destruction in their wake, as they make their way toward their final battleground: San Francisco.

Why it matters: Godzilla's return; the place to start by release.

Starring

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Juliette Binoche

Director

Gareth Edwards

Box office

$525 million on a $160 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 76%

No. 02 · 2017 · Film · 1h 58m · 1st in story order

Kong: Skull Island

Explore the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.

Why it matters: Set in 1973; the earliest story.

Starring

Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman

Director

Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Box office

$567 million on a $185 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 75%

No. 03 · 2019 · Film · 2h 12m · 4th in story order

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.

Why it matters: Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan.

Starring

Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, and Millie Bobby Brown

Director

Michael Dougherty

Box office

$387 million on a $170 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6 · Rotten Tomatoes 85%

No. 04 · 2021 · Film · 1h 54m · 6th in story order

Godzilla vs. Kong

In a time when monsters walk the Earth, humanity’s fight for its future sets Godzilla and Kong on a collision course that will see the two most powerful forces of nature on the planet collide in a spectacular battle for the ages.

Why it matters: The two titans meet.

Starring

Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, and Kaylee Hottle

Director

Adam Wingard

Box office

$470 million on a $200 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 75%

No. 05 · 2023 · Series · 3h 7m · optional

Skull Island

Shipwrecked in the South Pacific, a group of explorers encounter a menagerie of fearsome creatures — including the giant ape who rules the island: Kong.

Why it matters: An animated series on Kong's island; optional.

Starring

Mae Whitman, Nicolas Cantu, and Darren Barnet

Creator

Brian Duffield

Scores

IMDb 6.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 82%

Episodes

8

No. 06 · 2023 · Series · 16h 10m · 3rd in story order · optional

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

After surviving Godzilla's attack on San Francisco, Cate is shaken yet again by a shocking secret. Amid monstrous threats, she embarks on a globetrotting adventure to learn the truth about her family—and the mysterious organization known as Monarch.

Why it matters: Monarch across two eras; optional.

Starring

Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, and Ren Watabe

Creator

Matt Fraction and Chris Black

Scores

IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 81%

Episodes

20 across 2 seasons

No. 07 · 2024 · Film · 1h 55m

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Following their explosive showdown, Godzilla and Kong must reunite against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own.

Why it matters: Godzilla and Kong team up.

Starring

Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Dan Stevens

Director

Adam Wingard

Box office

$572 million on a $150 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6 · Rotten Tomatoes 54%

Godzilla and Kong box office and budgets

The 5 Godzilla and Kong films with reported numbers have grossed $2.52 billion worldwide on about $865 million in combined budgets, roughly 2.9 times what they cost. The biggest is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire at $572 million, 23% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Kong: Skull Island ($567 million) and Godzilla ($525 million).

Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which made 3.8 times its $150 million budget. The weakest was Godzilla: King of the Monsters at 2.3 times its $170 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.

The best and worst rated Godzilla and Kong movies

Across 7 rated titles, the MonsterVerse averages 6.4 on IMDb. The top of the list is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters at 7, then Kong: Skull Island (6.7) and Skull Island (6.5). At the bottom: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (6) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (6). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, is only the 7th best rated.

1. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters7 · RT 81%
2. Kong: Skull Island6.7 · RT 75%
3. Skull Island6.5 · RT 82%
4. Godzilla6.4 · RT 76%
5. Godzilla vs. Kong6.3 · RT 75%
6. Godzilla: King of the Monsters6 · RT 85%
7. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire6 · RT 54%

Who appears in the most Godzilla and Kong movies

Ken Watanabe leads with 2 appearances as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, ahead of Sally Hawkins (2) and David Strathairn (2). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.

Godzilla and Kong directors and creators

7 filmmakers have directed or created the MonsterVerse; Adam Wingard has the most, with 2.

• Adam WingardGodzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
• Gareth EdwardsGodzilla (2014)
• Jordan Vogt-RobertsKong: Skull Island (2017)
• Michael DoughertyGodzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
• Brian DuffieldSkull Island (2023)
• Matt FractionMonarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)
• Chris BlackMonarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)

How long it takes to watch every Godzilla and Kong movie

All 7 titles add up to 29 hours: 10 hours of film and 19 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 15 two-hour evenings, or 3 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 10 hours. The longest film is Godzilla: King of the Monsters at 2h 12m.

Which Godzilla and Kong movies can you skip?

2 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 19 hours.

• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters2023 · Series · 16h 10m · optionalMonarch across two eras; optional.
• Skull Island2023 · Series · 3h 7m · optionalAn animated series on Kong's island; optional.

Upcoming Godzilla and Kong movies

• Godzilla x Kong: SupernovaMarch 26, 2027

Common questions

Keep reading

• RecapGodzilla and Kong recap: the story so far7 titles recapped
• Skip guideWhat can you skip in Game of Thrones?2 titles you can skip
• RecapChainsaw Man recap: the story so far2 titles recapped
• Watch order guideHow to watch the One Piece movies in order8 titles · 498 hours
• Skip guideWhich Star Wars movies can you skip?5 titles you can skip
• Watch order guideHow to watch the Star Trek movies in order26 titles · 735 hours