One very specific element of the production of Godzilla X Kong: Supernova could hint at a tonal shift for the Monsterverse, bringing it in a new direction 12 years after it began. The movie’s тιтle reveal and initial teaser footage sparked a wave of theories, mostly about which Toho villain or underused Monsterverse тιтan might appear.

With production already underway, set pH๏τos have begun to surface that could provide clues about the movie’s plot. Perhaps the most important element of the production is not a set leak, however.

Godzilla X Kong: Supernova‘s cast has expanded gradually over the last few months, and we now have a fairly complete picture of who will star in the movie. Keeping with Monsterverse tradition, the cast has been largely overhauled, with the only holdover from Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire being Dan Stevens’ “тιтan vet” character Trapper.

There is still plenty of time for characters like Kaylee H๏τtle’s Jia Andrews or Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie Hayes to be added to the cast. However, there is a very particular filmography quirk that all the currently-announced actors and actresses share that could provide a hint about Godzilla X Kong: Supernova‘s tone and narrative.

Every Announced Godzilla X Kong: Supernova Actor Has Significant Recent Horror Experience

The Movie Will Feature Some Of The Top Names From 2025 Horror Movies And TV

All the actors and actresses announced for Godzilla X Kong: Supernova so far have one thing in common: they’ve been prominently featured in horror media in recent years. The cast list reads like a who’s-who of some of the biggest horror projects in recent memory, and all are likely most heavily-ᴀssociated with horror by the average moviegoer.

It seems unlikely that it’s a coincidence that each recognizable star that has been announced has had a horror movie or TV show at the top of their filmography, and almost all within the last year or two. For example, the returning Dan Stevens has starred in three horror movies in just the last two years (Cuckoo, Abigail, The Ritual) in addition to GxK: The New Empire.

Kaitlyn Dever was one of the earliest names announced, and she’s currently starring as the lead in HBO’s zombie apocalypse prestige drama The Last of Us. Alycia Debnam-Carey co-starred in Fear the Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, a spinoff of AMC’s all-time horror classic show The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

Jack O’Connell and Delroy Lindo have been added as well, and both are fresh off Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed smash-hit vampire horror movie Sinners. Matthew Modine has also been cast, and most recently starred as Dr. Martin Brenner in Netflix’s global sensation Stranger Things.

Rounding out the known cast is the legendary Sam Neill, who admittedly hasn’t been involved with a horror movie in the last couple of years but did rejoin the Jurᴀssic Park franchise in Jurᴀssic World: Dominion. Neill also has an extensive horror background, including Possession, Event Horizon, and In the Mouth of Madness.

GxK: Supernova’s Cast Could Point To A Darker Overall Story

The Horror-Capable Cast Could Hint At A More Dire Narrative

Lindo opened up in an interview about how much emphasis there will be on the human cast for Godzilla X Kong: Supernova. With that much talent all capable of providing stirring horror performances, it seems possible that their very casting could point to a darker, more horror-centric story for the next chapter in the Monsterverse.

To be clear, there is little chance of the Monsterverse suddenly pivoting towards drama, although it may benefit from borrowing from Godzilla Minus One in that regard. However, Godzilla X Kong: Supernova could change the tone of the Monsterverse by dipping into something much darker, or leaning into legitimate horror.

After the intimidating yet toy-friendly villains of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, Skar King and Shimo, Supernova could finally go back to the Toho well with one of Godzilla’s classic cosmic foes, like Hedorah, Gigan, or his ultra-powerful clone SpaceGodzilla. Each of those villains lends themselves to horror just by the nature of their composition and origin.

With Toho also trying to start their own Godzilla-centric franchise with the upcoming sequel to Godzilla Minus One, it’s possible that Legendary doesn’t license any Toho villains, and instead has something wholly original and terrifying crawl out of the depths of the Hollow Earth or fall from the stars.

The darker tonal element could come in other ways, as well. Some theories surrounding Supernova point to a major тιтan death that helps to elevate the stakes right off the bat. Regardless of who the villain winds up being, having them kill off one of the world’s strongest тιтans could be a great way to pivot away from the somewhat goofy tone of The New Empire right off the bat.

It’s possible that the recent horror background of the cast is a coincidence, as those are all talented actors and actresses who will thrive in any narrative they’re placed in. However, given the fact that every almost every announced cast member was knee-deep in horror when Godzilla X Kong: Supernova was being cast, it seems entirely possible that it was done intentionally to help elevate a darker tone.