King Kong roars back into theaters this March in the new reboot, Kong: Skull Island, which is unrelated to the last King Kong movie, 2005's King Kong. That movie itself was a reboot, and while it was a success both critically and financially, it did not spawn a sequel. So will Kong: Skull Island get a sequel, or will it be another one-and-done King Kong movie that results in the classic movie monster getting rebooted again in a decade?
Unless Kong: Skull Island proves to be an historical failure at the box office, you can expect this iteration of the giant ape to return in a future installment. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. have big plans for the giant ape, and they certainly encompass a lot more than just one potential blockbuster film. King Kong, along with the rebooted version of Godzilla seen in 2014's Godzilla, will serve as the cornerstones for the studios' new "MonsterVerse" cinematic universe. Kong: Skull Island, which takes place in the 1970s, functions as a prequel to the present day-set Godzilla, and it will help set up the two monsters facing off against each other in the already planned Godzilla vs. Kong, which is set for a 2020 release. But there's a chance that Kong could show up in another movie before then.
The next film in the MonsterVerse is actually a sequel to Godzilla, which is due out in 2019, called Godzilla: King of Monsters. And while it hasn't been revealed that Kong will appear in the film, it would certainly make sense. One hallmark of cinematic universes is that their films always try and build hype for the next installment, often through the use of post-credits scenes. Marvel has perfected this technique, and it's already been revealed that Kong: Skull Island features a scene after the film ends. This scene is heavily rumored to revolve around Godzilla, so it would only make sense for Kong to feature in the post-credits scene of the next Godzilla movie — especially since that film will lead directly into Godzilla vs Kong.
So fear not, King Kong fans, for you definitely have not seen the last of the hairy monster. With any luck, the King of the Apes will be popping up in new movies for at least the next few years, and that's something over which all of his fans should go ape.
