Watch order
MonsterVerse movie watch order
Legendary’s theatrical MonsterVerse from Godzilla (2014) through Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). Release lists every US premiere—so 2014 Godzilla invents the modern American Titans shelf first. Story follows practical film years: Kong: Skull Island (1973) → Godzilla (2014) → King of the Monsters → Godzilla vs. Kong → The New Empire. Classic Toho Japanese Godzilla catalogs, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and the Skull Island animated series stay optional FAQ notes. Creature neighbors: Alien and Jurassic Park.
Release order
When each Legendary MonsterVerse film opened in US theaters—from Godzilla (May 16, 2014) through Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (March 29, 2024). Best first path: watch in premiere order so 2014 Godzilla still invents this American Titans continuity before the 1973-set Skull Island prequel energy.
- First watch → Release: Godzilla (2014) → Skull Island → King of the Monsters → Godzilla vs. Kong → New Empire
- Titans core → all five Legendary theatricals in premiere order
- Prequel curiosity → Skull Island after 2014 Godzilla still works on Release
- Monarch TV / Toho classics / Skull Island animated → optional
Story order tips
Practical film chronology: Kong: Skull Island (1973) → Godzilla (2014) → King of the Monsters → Godzilla vs. Kong → The New Empire. Same five films; only Skull Island moves ahead of 2014 Godzilla. TV and Toho classics stay off this ladder.
- 1973 → Kong: Skull Island (earliest film year)
- 2014 → Godzilla (modern Titans awakening)
- 2019 → King of the Monsters
- 2021–2024 → Godzilla vs. Kong then The New Empire
Story order
Practical film chronology: Kong: Skull Island (1973) → Godzilla (2014) → King of the Monsters → Godzilla vs. Kong → The New Empire. Same five films; only Skull Island moves ahead of 2014 Godzilla. TV and Toho classics stay off this ladder.
- 1973 → Kong: Skull Island (earliest film year)
- 2014 → Godzilla (modern Titans awakening)
- 2019 → King of the Monsters
- 2021–2024 → Godzilla vs. Kong then The New Empire
Timeline
When each season premiered in the US. Expand a row for dates and where it fits in your watch order.
Release order
Godzilla
TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-actionGareth Edwards’s 2014 Legendary reboot returns Godzilla to US theaters as a force-of-nature Titan—military cover-ups, MUTO threats, and Bryan Cranston’s haunted scientist thread that invent this American MonsterVerse’s scale. This tab dates the US theatrical bow, not the 1973 Skull Island year.
- Overview
- Modern IMAX kaiju awe with restrained human POV and a King of the Monsters who arrives as ecology, not camp. Correct first watch on Release so the Titans myth still lands as discovery.
- Related games
- MonsterVerse opener in theaters. Story places the 1973 Skull Island adventure before this 2014 awakening. Creature neighbors: Jurassic Park and Alien.
- Where it fits
- Start here on Release. On Story it sits second, after Kong: Skull Island. Required before King of the Monsters either way.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release May 16, 2014 (Warner Bros. / Legendary).
Kong: Skull Island
TheatricalStreamingMain sagaPrequel yearJordan Vogt-Roberts’s 2017 Vietnam-era expedition—released second—drops soldiers and scientists onto Skull Island against a towering Kong. It is set in 1973, decades before 2014 Godzilla, even though US theaters played the Godzilla reboot first.
- Overview
- Period war-movie energy meets creature spectacle; Monarch seeds and island ecology set up later Titan crossovers without needing classic Toho homework.
- Related games
- Earliest film year on Story. Release still plays it after 2014 Godzilla; Story continues into that modern awakening next.
- Where it fits
- Second on Release; first on Story (1973). Watch here in premiere order, or start Story with this title for calendar order.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release March 10, 2017 (Warner Bros. / Legendary).
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-actionMichael Dougherty’s 2019 Titans summit brings Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah into Legendary continuity—eco-thriller stakes, Monarch fieldwork, and Godzilla’s claim as alpha among monsters. Bridges the 2014 reboot into the Kong crossover era.
- Overview
- Classic Toho icons reframed inside the MonsterVerse’s military-sci-fi lane. Spectacle-heavy; still the required middle chapter before Godzilla vs. Kong.
- Related games
- Locks the Titan roster before the Kong team-up films. Next theatrical chapter is Godzilla vs. Kong.
- Where it fits
- Third on both tabs among these five. Watch after Skull Island on Release; after 2014 Godzilla on Story.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release May 31, 2019 (Warner Bros. / Legendary).
Godzilla vs. Kong
TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-actionAdam Wingard’s 2021 crossover finally puts Godzilla and Kong in the same frame—Hollow Earth myths, Mechagodzilla intrigue, and crowd-pleasing titan brawls after King of the Monsters raises the stakes.
- Overview
- Tag-team blockbuster grammar that pays off the dual Godzilla/Kong tracks Legendary built since 2014. Theatrical is enough for the film path on this page.
- Related games
- First full Godzilla–Kong team-up chapter. Next is The New Empire.
- Where it fits
- Fourth on both tabs. Watch after King of the Monsters; Story keeps the same sequence after the 1973 prequel shuffle.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release March 31, 2021 (Warner Bros. / Legendary).
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-actionWingard’s 2024 sequel sends Kong deeper into Hollow Earth threats while Godzilla answers a new rival—ape societies, Iwi lore, and another round of city-scale Titan warfare that closes this five-film theatrical ladder for now.
- Overview
- Expands Hollow Earth culture and Kong’s arc beyond a single crossover bout. Endpoint of the released Legendary film path on this page as of August 2026.
- Related games
- Current theatrical endpoint. TV spin-offs and classic Toho catalogs remain FAQ extras, not required next rows.
- Where it fits
- Last on both tabs among released films. Watch after Godzilla vs. Kong. Further sequels stay off until they have firm US dates.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release March 29, 2024 (Warner Bros. / Legendary).
FAQ
Release vs 1973 Skull Island story order, Toho vs Legendary, TV and animated extras, and related creature shelves.
Watch order
Godzilla (2014) → Kong: Skull Island (2017) → Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) → Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) → Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). That is the US theatrical path and this page’s recommended first watch. Use Story if you want the 1973 Skull Island year first.
Release is premiere order (Godzilla 2014 first). Story follows film years: Skull Island (1973) → Godzilla (2014) → King of the Monsters → Godzilla vs. Kong → The New Empire. First-time viewers should stay on Release so 2014 still invents this continuity.
Years & Titans
Kong: Skull Island is set in 1973—decades before 2014 Godzilla. It is second on Release by premiere date and first on Story. It does not replace the 2014 film; it is a period prequel inside Legendary continuity.
What’s included
No for this page. Legendary’s MonsterVerse is a separate modern continuity from the classic Toho Japanese Godzilla catalog (Gojira 1954 onward). Toho films are optional flavor—not release or story titles here. Watch them for kaiju history; they are not required between these five.
More timelines
Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.
- Media
Alien
Alien movies in US theatrical release order and practical story chronology—seven films from Alien through Romulus, with Prometheus and Covenant as prequels and Romulus between Alien and Aliens.
- Media
Predator
Predator movies in US release order and hunt chronology—six films from Predator through Badlands, with Prey (1719) opening Story and Badlands as the far-future closer.
- Media
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies in US theatrical release order—seven films from 1993 through Rebirth (2025), with story order matching the main saga and watch-order FAQ.
- Media
Transformers
Transformers live-action movies in US theatrical release order and practical story order—eight films from Transformers (2007) through Transformers One (2024), with Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts as the Earth prequel lane.
- Media
Terminator
Terminator movies in US theatrical release order and Cameron continuity—six films from The Terminator through Dark Fate, with T1, T2, and Dark Fate as the practical story path.