Earlier this year, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters brought the MonsterVerse back to Apple TV, once again seeing the kaiju-studying organization tracking some of the biggest monsters around. Later in 2026, Godzilla Minus Zero will hit theaters, as the long-awaited sequel to Godzilla Minus One has a big legacy to live up to. Shockingly enough, while the King of the Monsters has had a major year so far, one of the Titan’s biggest villains is planning to return this fall. Ever since Godzilla: Final Wars, this creepy beast has sat on the sidelines, but a new film is preparing to welcome back this notorious “monster.”
Godzilla Fest is an annual event that celebrates all things Godzilla, with the next event in the line set to make landfall in Japan this November. While the festival will often times hint at things to come, while also looking to the lizard king’s past, it will also often feature a brand new short film that will bring back Godzilla opponents from the past to face the King of the Monsters one more time. For the upcoming short film, the filmmakers are preparing to bring back Monster X, a terrifying villain from 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars, for the first time in decades. Titled “Fest Godzilla II: Shinjuku Burning,” the new short film is sure to offer Godzilla a harrowing battle while bringing back the classic villain.
Not to Be Mistaken With Titan X
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For those who caught the second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, you might be familiar with the new kaiju known as Titan X, an aquatic threat that threatened the MonsterVerse as a whole. If you want a breakdown of Monster X’s background, he first appeared in Final Wars came about thanks to the alien race known as the “Xiliens,” an alien race hailing from Planet X. On top of harboring a bone-like structure that made X a formidable opponent to Godzilla, Final Wars saw the kaiju evolving into a new iteration of Ghidorah, known as Keizer Ghidorah. Monster X could also unleash energy blasts, gravity beams, and fly, so the short film makers will have their work cut out for them in resurrecting the beast.
For the upcoming Godzilla short film, the filmmakers have started a crowdfunding campaign in hopes of creating a new “Burning Godzilla Suit.” Set to open in June of this year, here’s how the creators describe the campaign: “The highlight of the Godzilla Fest 2026 announcement is a global crowdfunding campaign to support the creation of a new Burning Millennium Godzilla suit. The campaign will run through CAMPFIRE, one of Japan’s major crowdfunding platforms, and will be open for international participation across 82 countries. Previous Godzilla Fest crowdfunding projects supported suit production for rival monsters, but this project puts Godzilla at the center.” You can check out the campaign for yourselves by clicking here.
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