Movie Odds: Crossing Over to the Other Side

It was 1929 when Edwin Hubble first discovered the universe we live in is not a static entity; rather, a constant state of expansion. And, by way of a terribly undeveloped segue, it was 2017 when we all discovered that the Warner Bros. and Legendary Studios MonsterVerse was also, indeed, expanding.

We’ve known about this planned shared universe for some time now, so it came as no surprise when this year’s release of Kong: Skull Island continued on in the same vein as Gareth Edwards’s 2014 Godzilla remake. What we didn’t really know, though, was how much room the beasts were going to be given to grow, or whether, after 55 years, Godzilla and Kong were going to meet again.

Oh, but we suspected. How could we not? What is the point of a MonsterVerse if the monsters never meet? But, with nothing confirmed and little evidence to go off of initially, the rumors remained just that — until we landed on Skull Island and got a glimpse of just how much bigger things could possibly get.

Not only did director Jordan Vogt-Roberts make Kong bigger in a quite literal sense (this time around he stands 100 ft. tall, and is, as John C. Reilly’s Marlow points out, still growing!), he set the stage upon which the larger MonsterVerse may play out. Easter eggs are littered throughout the film, connecting dots between Godzilla‘s world and this new one Kong lives in, however the foreshadowing that happens post-credits is perhaps our biggest clue of what’s to come.

In the last scene of Skull Island we are ominously warned that “Kong isn’t the only King”, and then shown a slideshow of cave drawings depicting other iconic monsters we should all recognize. There is Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, and then, right as the screen begins its fade to black, we hear that Godzilla roar we know so well.

A framework now exists upon which we can build our hopes for the ultimate monster cross-over event. With the slated release of Godzilla: King of Monsters in 2019, and all the talk about a 2020 rematch between our two favorite beasts, there is a lot to look forward to in the next few years.

Odds Godzilla vs. Kong will be released in 2020: 1/10

The monster mash-up is slated for release in 2020, leaving some people wondering whether it will actually come to fruition — especially if the next instalment in the Godzilla story flops at the box office. However, Warner Bros. and Legendary Studios have a plan, and it involves — probably even climaxing with — the two beasts coming together for the first time in over five decades. Director Adam Wingard has already spoken about where he plans to take the film, promising us a definite victor — unlike the 1962 original which left it up for debate. It is only a matter of time (three years, to be more accurate) until we finally find out who the true King of Beasts is.

Crossover Odds

Remember when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got brainwashed by Astronema and ended up fighting against the Power Rangers (in Space), until an electrical storm shocked them back into autonomous reptilian youth, allowing for the two teams to become one super team for an episode? No?

Well then, what about when The Simpsons and Family Guy crossed over after years of riffing on one another, and we got The Simpsons Guy? (Though, granted, not many of us were too happy about it.)

Or, how about the silver screen meet-up of Alien vs. Predator?

Now that I’ve jogged your memory on three of the (arguably) most important cross-over events (of my lifetime, anyway), what feelings have been brought up in you? Cross-overs can have some pretty mixed reviews, which is really no surprise, is it? There is great potential on both ends of the spectrum — either for incredible action or total disappointment. But, that hasn’t stopped us yet, has it?

Let’s look at some odds for a couple other potential cross-overs we would like to see happen in the next few years — regardless of how they might turn out, they would be a ton of fun to watch!

Marvel/DC: 3/1

That might actually be a bit generous, considering how many legal and logistical concerns a cross-over event like this would have. It has happened in the comics before, of course, but on the big screen? You have to take into account story lines, time lines, character archs, usage rights, shoot schedules, continuity, and more legal issues than I fully understand. It would be a huge undertaking, albeit a really awesome one.

John Wick/Atomic Blonde: 50/1

Unfortunately a cross-over between John Wick and Lorraine Broughton is not likely to be in the cards. While David Leitch, director of the first John Wick and of Atomic Blonde, says he thinks it would be a fantastic idea, the timing is just too far off. John Wick is set in the present day, while Atomic Blonde takes place around the end of the Cold War. What Leitch does suggest, though, is a new project that would pair the duo (Reeves and Theron) in a similar action space, giving fans of Wick and Broughton their cake and allowing them to eat it, too.