Actor Dan Stevens in talks to return to the Monsterverse

Dan Stevens is set to return to the Monsterverse. The 42-year-old actor's character Trapper in Legendary’s Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire proved to be a hit with fans. As such, he is now in negotiations to star in the company's next instalment in the franchise, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

Plot details for the next movie – which will be directed by I Am Mother filmmaker Grant Sputore – are being kept under wraps but Legendary previously teased it would feature “several new human characters alongside the beloved and iconic Titans Godzilla and Kong as they face off against a cataclysmic world-ending threat.”

Stevens previously admitted he had a "ton of fun" filming Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire with his "old buddy" Rebecca Hall and his The Guest director Adam Wingard.

He told Entertainment Tonight: "It's an incredible call to get at the best of times, but to get it from an old friend, Adam Wingard, who directed the last installment of these, to join Rebecca Hall, who is one of my oldest buddies, Brian Tyree Henry, who I adore – and they wrote me an incredible character.

"So, you know, it was just a ton of fun."

It was revealed last May that Adam Wingard wouldn't be returning to direct a third Godzilla X Kong film because of scheduling issues but sources told The Hollywood Reporter at the time the situation was amicable and he could be back in the future.

Despite his departure, the Death Note filmmaker previously admitted he has "more stories to tell" in the Monsterverse.

He told Discussing Film: "The whole idea that if you've done two movies, like, maybe you should just go ahead and do a third because, as you said, there's a trilogy in there.

"It just depends on how [Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire] does and how things kind of shape out.

"I do have more stories to tell with these monsters, and I know where I'd go with it. I would be very excited to be able to come back on for another one if things worked out!"

Wingard's priority in The New Empire was the two titular beasts, so he deliberately opted for a small human cast.

He previously told The Hollywood Reporter: "In the development phase, my motto was, ‘Simplicity is key’. And so I knew that if we created a smaller cast, we could create a more intimate story.

"We can still spend time with [the human characters], and at the same time, we can spend more time with the monsters and not shortchange one or the other."

Legendary has made five Monsterverse movies since launching with Godzilla in 2014 and has accumulated over US$2.5 billion at the global box office.