Godzillahas become an unstoppable force in the entertainment industry once again, having continued his success both as a classic Toho kaiju and as the Marvel-esque buddy of King Kong in the MonsterVerse. However, recently, fans were able to finally get a glimpse of a long-lost scene fromthe creature’s first MonsterVerse outingin Gareth Edwards’ 2014Godzilla. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the movie that kicked off the new wave of love for Godzilla, an exciting deleted scene from that movie was finally released and sent fans wild – even though it doesn’t even include the titular Titan.
The scene in question is one that, in itself, is pretty unspectacular and quite mundane in that it features Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ford Brody preparing to travel and heading through the airport. On his way he is stopped for checks by none other than a Godzilla legend -Akira Takarada.
1954 Japanese film Godzilla follows Japan’s panic as ships are mysteriously sunk near Odo Island. An expedition discovers a giant monster, Godzilla, whose rampage threatens global destruction.
The scene was discovered by Toho Kingdom, a dedicated fan-site, which shared the clip on theirX/Twitter account. For those who don’t know, Takarada is someone with a long history with the Godzilla franchise, and his cameo appearance in the movie is something that Edwards himself hinted at for many years, despite the scene being ultimately cut from the theatrical release ofGodzilla10 years ago. After being given permission to share the clip from Warner Bros. and Legendary, thanks to Toho Kingdom, Takarada’s cameo can now finally be seen by fans around the world.
Who was Akira Takarada to the Godzilla Franchise?
Takarada’s history with Godzilla is intricately linked with the franchise all the way back to its roots at Toho. Having joined the company in 1953, Takarada was part of the original 1954 release ofGodzilla. He appeared in many of the best-loved original Godzilla movies, includingMothra vs GodzillaandInvasion of the Astro-Monster.
His legacy with Godzilla saw him becoming almost as much of an icon in the franchise as the giant creatures, and for that reason alone, fans were massively disappointed when his rumored cameo inEdwards’ reboot of Godzillanever turned up. The death of Takarada in 2022 makes the eventual release of his cut scene even more poignant to fans, as it marked his last appearance in a Godzilla project – fittingly, the movie that began the latest resurgence.
The future for the Godzilla franchise has never been brighter. Toho’s massive international success withGodzilla Minus Onein December 2023, combined with the impressive release ofGodzilla x Kong: The New Empirein March, has ensured that kajiu movies are here to stay for some time yet. It has yet to be revealed whetherGodzilla Minus Onewill get a direct sequel, but Toho is already said to be working on their next Godzilla release, with the aim of keeping their authentic Godzilla movies at the top of their game.
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From Godzilla’s physicality and personality to what makes Toho Toho and the MonsterVerse the MonsterVerse.
Meanwhile, the MonsterVerse is living up to its name as the behemoth of both the big and small screens. A sequel toGodzilla X Kongis now in the works, although it will not be moving forward with director Adam Wingard. After the two-timeGodzilla/Kongdirector stepped away from a threequel,the directorial role was handed to Grant Sputore, the Australian best known for helmingI Am Mother. In addition to this movie, Apple TV+’s branch of the MonsterVerse, which kicked off withMonarch: Legacy of Monsters, is also expanding.MonarchSeason 2 has been greenlit, and it was recently teased that other spin-off projects are also in the works.
Godzilla Minus Oneis streaming on Netflix, whileGodzilla x Kong: The New Empirewill come to Max in July.
