Efforts to arrange a rematch between Godzilla and Hedorah have been bungled multiple times over a period of more than 50 years now. But through the Monsterverse, a chance exists for “round two” of Godzilla vs. Hedorah to finally find life on the big screen. Due to its psychedelic energy and the titular villain’s odd, blob-like appearance, 1971’s Godzilla vs. Hedorah hardly feels like a top candidate for a Monsterverse adaptation, but its central concepts could translate well to its world.
Also known as the Smog Monster, Hedorah is an alien creature who feeds off pollution and one of several Godzilla villains. His hunger led it to Earth in Godzilla vs. Hedorah. And though its looks may warn of any real danger, Hedorah did prove to be a formidable opponent for Godzilla throughout the film. Even so, Godzilla vs. Hedorah ultimately killed off the monster, and he remained a one-and-done villain until his cameo in 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars. But his absence wasn’t due to a lack of trying on the part of filmmakers. Multiple attempts have been made to make him a proper villain again, and the Monsterverse could become the first to pull it off.
Toho’s Plans To Revive Hedorah Explained
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Despite there being a 33-year gap between his two movie appearances, Hedorah stayed on the mind of Yoshimitsu Banno, the creator of the monster and the director of the 1971 film. The final title card in Godzilla vs. Hedorah, “Yet Another One?” served as a direct tease toward Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2. But instead of bringing back Hedorah himself, Banno wound up working on a Godzilla vs. Hedorah sequel centered on a different villain, a starfish monster called Gierza. Because of budget concerns, it didn’t work out. Afterward, Banno decided on another sequel to his movie, but this time the true Hedorah would be involved.
Banno revisited the Hedorah idea (likely sometime in the mid-1970s) and conceived a plan to direct Hedorah’s Counterattack
According to John LeMay’s The Big Book of Giant Japanese Monsters: The Lost Films, Banno revisited the Hedorah idea (likely sometime in the mid-1970s) and conceived a plan to direct Hedorah’s Counterattack, which would have brought the villain to Africa. There, Hedorah would have engaged in a heated rematch with Godzilla. Hedorah’s Counterattack was shelved when Toho decided to have another director (not Banno) direct Godzilla’s next movie. With Ishiro Honda brought onboard, Toho released Terror of Mechagodzilla, which became the last Showa-era Godzilla film.
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Decades after Hedorah’s Counterattack fell through, Banno envisioned a red version of Hedorah, naming it Deathla. This new incarnation of the classic Godzilla villain was intended to be the antagonist of Godzilla 3D: To The Max, but Banno couldn’t get it funded. He returned his attention to Hedorah again in 2014. As recounted by LeMay’s book, Banno told Sci Fi Japan TV that he wanted to make a $6 million kaiju film titled Hedorah vs. Midora. Had it reached fruition, it would have called for Hedorah to find Midora, a green algae monster that would have acted as a “good” counterpart to Hedorah. As LeMay notes, this would have made Hedorah and Midora a pairing akin to Mothra and Battra in Godzilla vs. Mothra.
While most attempts to use Hedorah were spearheaded by Banno, that wasn’t always the case. Godzilla: Final Wars featured a short sequence where Godzilla easily plowed through two of his one-time villains, Hedorah and Ebirah. As a ridiculously lopsided two-on-one fight, it was far-removed from the Godzilla vs. Hedorah rematch that Banno had wanted since the 1970s. But in actuality, Hedorah’s role was supposed to be more than just a cameo in Final Wars. Unfortunately, revisions to the script resulted in his screen-time being cut down to just one small scene.
Why Hedorah Would Make A Lot Of Sense For The Monsterverse
Considering that Toho has only made two live-action Godzilla films since Final Wars, hopes for Hedorah returning to its franchise aren’t high. He arguably has much better odds of showing up in the Monsterverse, given how well he’d fit into its world. At its core, Godzilla vs. Hedorah was an environmental story meant to serve as a warning about the harm humans bring to the planet. This was accomplished through Hedorah’s taste for pollution; by polluting the Earth, humanity had inadvertently invited Hedorah to the planet, thus making them responsible for the villain’s fight with Godzilla.
The overarching theme of Godzilla vs. Hedorah is consistent with the direction taken by the Monsterverse’s movies. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, for instance, Jonah and Emma’s terrorist scheme is driven by this idea that humans are destroying the planet. This fuels their plan to wake up Ghidorah, who they hoped would provide a reset of sorts for civilization. But rather than meet that goal, they only set up a doomsday scenario where Ghidorah attempts to terraform the whole planet. Similar to what happened in Godzilla vs. Hedorah, it fell on Godzilla to save the humans from a mess that they created.
More than just a thematic fit for the Monsterverse, Hedorah would complement the existing lore of the franchise. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters confirmed the existence of alien Titans through the introduction of Ghidorah a.k.a. Monster Zero, so another extraterrestrial creature being out there isn’t implausible. In fact, the Monsterverse may have already indicated that Monarch has knowledge of another alien on Earth aside from Ghidorah. Godzilla vs. Kong hinted at Roswell – renowned for its alleged alien connections – being a place with Titan activity.
How A Hedorah Story Could Work In Godzilla X Kong’s Sequel
The Humans Could Open The Door For Hedorah To Enter The Hollow Earth
Thanks to Godzilla and Kong’s Hollow Earth world, the Monsterverse has an opportunity to add an exciting twist on Godzilla vs. Hedorah’s main storyline. Whereas the 1971 movie was about Hedorah threatening human cities, the upcoming Godzilla x Kong sequel could see Hedorah make its way to Kong’s underground home. Now that the humans have exposed several entrances to the Hollow Earth, they could be exploited by Hedorah, who could spread his taint all through the Hollow Earth, corrupting its beautiful ecosystems.
Once again, this could result in Kong needing help from Godzilla to protect his home from an invader. Due to Hedorah’s nigh-invulnerability, he’d be a challenge for either Titan to overcome. Not unlike the quest to find his weakness in Godzilla vs. Hedorah, the Monsterverse’s human characters could spend much of the movie trying to find a way for Godzilla and Kong to beat him.