Godzilla Minus One: Is it a Sequel, a Spinoff, or a Reboot?

The iconic monster that's been terrorizing everything in his path returns in the newest Toho Studios installment for the Gojira franchise, Godzilla Minus One.

Featuring the return to its Japanese roots along with some Horror aspects sprinkled onto it, the upcoming film for the terrifying Kaiju is set in post-war Japan, which sounds pretty similar to how the 1950s film found Godzilla in the first place.

This then begs the question, is Godzilla Minus One a sequel, a spinoff, or a reboot of the original?

The Godzilla Franchise Has Had Many Spinoffs Throughout Its Historical Run

Credit: Legendary Pictures & Warner Bros. Pictures

Godzilla may be one of the longest-running major franchises in Hollywood since its debut.

Similar to how the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, or even the James Bond series depicted the continuity of their films, there may be some confusion with the King of Monsters’ timeline.

Considering that Gojira has starred in 36 movies (far more than the other billion-dollar franchises), you may be wondering if there is some sense in watching the films in chronological order or a specific arrangement that would help you understand the Godzilla timeline.

Across the 36 movies, Godzilla’s filmography has also been distinguished between the Japanese and the American versions.

While both versions are distinct in the market audience, most of the Gojira movies are meant to be standalone.

It is worth mentioning that although the American versions technically have been keeping up with their Gojira timeline by casting recurring characters and plot continuum, Godzilla Minus One came from Toho Studios, Japan, meaning that you could easily walk into theaters blindly and still enjoy the film.

So, Is Godzilla Minus One a Sequel, a Spinoff, or a Reboot?

Credit: Toho Studios

The last time Godzilla graced the big theatrical screens was way back in July 2016, Shin Godzilla, when a new species was spawned from nuclear waste dumping.

Many seem to think that Godzilla Minus One is tied directly as a sequel to the 2016 flick, but here’s what Toho International President Koji Ueda had to say about it: according to Toho, the recent installment fits into the Reiwa era of the giant monster’s storyline.

The ‘eras’ in question are as follows: the Showa Era (from 1954’s Godzilla to 1975’s Terror of Mechagodzilla), the Heisei Era (from 1984’s The Return of Godzilla to 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destroyer), the Millennium Era (1999’s Godzilla 2000: Millennium to 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars), and lastly, the Reiwa Era.

The Reiwa Era comprises the following films: Shin Godzilla (2016), Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017), Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018), and Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018) — where Godzilla Minus One belongs.

The Toho President himself also confirmed that Godzilla Minus One follows 2016’s Shin Godzilla.

While the former focuses on how the citizens attempt to stop the creature from utterly destroying their home, the latter's spotlight is more on the government's call to action in eradicating the monster from their land.

According to what the official trailer tells us, Godzilla Minus One also seemingly reboots his original appearance in his 1954 debut. Overall, though, the newest motion picture serves as a standalone reboot on its own.

However, this does leave more questions since one particular line in the trailer suggests this wasn’t the first time the creature was seen by the people in Japan, “Is that… Godzilla?”