Thread:The King of the Monsters/@comment-28615543-20160620171052/@comment-25285745-20160622233136

The difference is that with G84 Toho very well might have intended for it to be the same Godzilla from 1954 at the time. It was only with Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and later that they determined they wanted it to be a second Godzilla. GMK was a single film that Toho presumably never intended to continue the story of, so they likely made a conscious decision for it to ambiguously be the original Godzilla. The GMK Godzilla is a supernatural entity anyway, meaning he isn't really bound to a body. Through some method he will always return, whether it be regeneration or possessing a different body. The beating heart at the film's end shows that Godzilla will return by demonstrating that destroying his body isn't enough. He's not just a single living being that can be permanently destroyed, he's an entity that will resurface throughout time to punish humanity.

The idea that the GMK Godzilla is the first Godzilla reincarnated in some form makes logical sense. The beating heart at the end of the film shows that part of Godzilla can survive destruction and implies he will return some day, somehow. That parallels how although Godzilla was destroyed in 1954, he returned to punish mankind, who continued its foolish ways and pretended Godzilla's attack never happened. It can be interpreted that some part of Godzilla was left behind in 1954, and through supernatural means regenerated over a period of 50 years. Godzilla's healing factor varies in strength throughout the films, GMK Godzilla's regeneration is not as instantaneous as the G2K version, but it is entirely possible he can regenerate over time. Nearly 50 years would be an appropriate time for Godzilla's body to be restored. That isn't the only possible explanation for how Godzilla returned after fifty years, but it shows it isn't impossible given what the film establishes. Honestly, the film doesn't really seem to treat it as important whether this is the same Godzilla from 1954, it just makes it clear that Godzilla is a punishment for the Japanese people who will continue to attack them if they ignore the sins of the past.