The film serves as both a sequel to the original 1954 film and a reboot of the franchise that ignores the events of every Shōwa era film aside from the original Godzilla, placing itself in line with the darker tone and themes of the original film and returning Godzilla to his destructive, antagonistic roots. It is the 16th film in the Godzilla franchise, and is the first film in the franchise's Heisei period.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_Godzilla