Gareth Edward’s Godzilla is a rare beast, in this way. It made a ton of money back in 2014, and earned near-universal critical praise. But since its release, almost everyone involved in it immediately moved on to other massive projects, leaving the future of the monster-movie franchise in an uncertain state.
When I sat down with Godzilla star Aaron Taylor Johnson over the weekend on behalf of The Avengers: Age of Ultron (one example of the massive properties that have tied up Team Godzilla), I snuck in a question about the status of Godzilla 2, which right now carries a June 8, 2018 release date. But Taylor-Johnson’s answer was the equivalent of, "Your guess is as good as mine." He actually told me:
Our director, Gareth Edwards, is off shooting a Star Wars movie now, so I think, you know, and he was a huge influence on the franchise. … So I think they’re waiting on Gareth, and then when Gareth gets around, they will all jump in a room, brainstorm, and do their thing. And I don’t know if I’d be a part of it, if it would be set somewhere else, if it’s going to be in the future. ... It’s just kind of, it’s just so broad.
The Star Wars movie Aaron Taylor-Johnson references is Rogue One, the first of the planned Star Wars spinoff movies that Disney and Lucasfilm want to rotate with the chapters of the trilogy that will kick start with The Force Awakens. Edwards needs to deliver Rogue One by December 16, 2016, so you can understand why plans for Godzilla 2 would be on the backburner until Rogue One had wrapped.
Not that there has been a need to rush. Two Godzilla stars, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, found refuge in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing "enhanced" beings Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in Age of Ultron. And Edwards moved on to Star Wars for the time being.
I do find it interesting that Taylor-Johnson isn't certain whether he'll be a part of it. I guess a lot can change between now and then. But the creative team behind Godzilla 2 have said that they are willing to wait for Edwards to finish, even if it leaves four years between the Godzilla reboot and its potential sequel.
