Godzilla Minus Zero is stomping through theaters worldwide, posting one of the strongest box office openings in Toho's long-running franchise history — and its star is opening up about what's different this time.

In an exclusive interview with ComicBook, the actress behind Noriko discussed the major change her character undergoes in the sequel, giving fans insight into how the follow-up builds on the emotional foundation laid by its predecessor.

The film, distributed internationally by GKIDS, continues the story that made its predecessor a critical and commercial phenomenon. With the sequel already performing at franchise-best levels out of the gate, Toho's human-centered approach to its most famous kaiju clearly still resonates — both in Japan and with the global audience that has embraced this era of Godzilla storytelling.