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Godzilla X Kong: Supernova Needs To Continue An Underused Monsterverse Trend With Its Titans
Speculation surrounding Godzilla X Kong: Supernova and its clever title reveal and first teaser footage has mostly been related to introducing Toho kaiju to the Monsterverse, but I’m just as interested in how they continue a Titan trend that has developed over the last few movies.
There have been no details revealed about the upcoming movie, which will be Kong and Godzilla’s third time sharing a screen in the Monsterverse, aside from the title and the human cast for the film. Potenitally informative set photos have begun to surface with the movie now in production that could yield clues about the movie’s plot, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
There have been no indications about which Titans will return for the sequel aside from the eponymous alpha Titans. We can make some assumptions based on how Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire ended; for example, Shimo and Suko are all but guaranteed to make appearances, even if their roles are minimized in the next chapter.
With so much left unsettled as far as villains or allies are concerned, Godzilla X Kong: Supernova is chock full of monstrous potential. As cool as it would be to see a classic Godzilla villain like SpaceGodzilla or Gigan arrive in the Monsterverse, my big wish for the movie has to do with Titans we have far less information and background about.
I Want To See More Of The Monsterverse’s Existing Original Titans
There Are Hundreds, And We’ve Only Seen A Few On-Screen
While 2014’s Godzilla might have alerted the world of the Monsterverse to the existence of Titans, it’s since been revealed that they have been around for centuries, and in some cases, millennia. On top of that, it’s become clear that the number of Titans in the world is far larger than anyone ever imagined.
As of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, there are at least 245 identified Titans in the world (and in the Hollow Earth). While Dr. Serizawa mentioned just 17 and counting in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the earth-shattering alpha call of Ghidorah appears to have both rooted out previously hidden Titans. An expanded understanding of the Hollow Earth also made them easier to track and identify, too.
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A recent interview with one of Supernova’s stars could point to the Monsterverse following the path of the most acclaimed Godzilla movie of all time.
Despite many being present in the world, the Monsterverse movies and TV show have, understandably, only shown a few. In addition to the massive players like Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and Kong, we’ve been introduced to lesser Titans as well, like the Warbat, the Frost-Vark, and the Brambleboar.
I want Godzilla X Kong: Supernova to delve deeper into some of the Titans we know are out there but haven’t seen yet, or have barely seen. The named Titans from Monarch’s world map in Godzilla: King of the Monsters all have intriguing theoretical backstories based on the mythological beings they’re named after, and I’m interested in finding out far more about them.
The Original Titans We’ve Seen Have Been Great Additions To Godzilla Lore
From Major Villains To Minor Fauna, They’ve Expanded Godzilla’s World For The Better
Part of what makes Godzilla’s expanded lore and character so much fun to follow is the diverse array of monsters that he fights with and against. Godzilla is the most famous monster in the world, but names like Mothra, King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mechagodzilla are right there with him given how often they’ve appeared.
As great as those beloved characters are, one of the best elements of the Legendary Monsterverse has been the litany of completely original monsters they’ve introduced to Godzilla’s circle. We’ve gotten major villains like the MUTOs, Shimo, and Skar King, who pose world-ending threats, and interesting minor monsters like the Skullcrawlers, Behemoth, Methuselah, and even Doug.
|
Legendary’s MonsterVerse – Key Details |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Movie/TV Show |
Release Date |
Budget |
Box Office Gross |
RT Tomatometer Score |
RT Popcornmeter Score |
|
Godzilla |
2014 |
$160 million |
$529.1 million |
76% |
66% |
|
Kong: Skull Island |
2017 |
$185 million |
$568 million |
76% |
70% |
|
Godzilla: King of the Monsters |
2019 |
$200 million |
$387.3 million |
42% |
83% |
|
Godzilla vs. Kong |
2021 |
$200 million |
$470.1 million |
76% |
91% |
|
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters |
2023 |
N/A |
N/A |
86% |
77% |
|
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire |
2024 |
$150 million |
$572.3 million |
54% |
89% |
Every time we’ve seen original Titans in the Monsterverse, they’ve been a positive addition to the narrative or the sheer spectacle of Godzilla and Kong movies. Godzilla X Kong: Supernova has an opportunity to explore the original Titans that are already on the surface, especially if they push a Godzilla-centric story.
Non-Movie Canon Shows Off Several More Titans
Tie-in Graphic Novels And Novelizations Provide Closer Looks
Fortunately, the folks at Legendary seem to have a grasp on the appeal of the Monsterverse’s original Titans. The expanded lore that accompanies the movies has provided a far more in-depth look at some of the named Titans on the surface world.
For example, the graphic novel Godzilla: Dominion detailed a battle between Behemoth, the ape-like, elephant-tusked monster who answers Ghidorah’s call, and Amhuluk, a mysterious and malevolent Titan who telekinetically assembles the rest of his body out of plant matter around his head and spine.
In the graphic novel Kingdom Kong, Kong himself battles Camazotz, a hellish, bat-like destroyer Titan who commands an army of smaller bat creatures and feeds on radiation-rich Titan blood. Both Camazotz and Amhuluk were defeated by Kong and Godzilla, respectively, in the graphic novels they’re featured in, but both are very much alive and still active in the Monsterverse.
Original Titans Are Key To The Monsterverse’s Future
There’s A Reason The Monsterverse Isn’t Loaded With Familiar Toho Favorites
Godzilla: King of the Monsters represented a benchmark in the relationship between Legendary and Toho, as it marked the first occasion in which an American company licensed Toho monsters (aside from Godzilla) for use in an American-made Godzilla movie. However, there is a reason that the Monsterverse isn’t littered with familiar names like Kumonga, Kamacuras, and Anguirus.
Each time Legendary wants to use a Toho monster, they need to be individually licensed, which is both costly and difficult to plan an entire movie around. Legendary famously had a custom-made replacement monster ready to fill Mothra’s peacekeeper role in Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire as a precaution in case they weren’t able to license Mothra herself.
Legendary needs to continue to put an emphasis on fleshing out their world of original Titans for the sake of the franchise’s longevity.
Legendary needs to continue to build out their world of original monsters so that they can craft better overall stories around them. Part of what gives the beloved Toho monsters their charm is that the audience becomes familiar with them as characters themselves. We learn their fighting styles, their strengths and weaknesses, and their origin stories, all of which makes for stronger storytelling.
Anguirus famously evolved into a loyal ally of Godzilla’s during the Showa Era, which is part of what makes him such a fan-favorite. We could see something similar beginning to unfold between Kong and Shimo, which strengthens both characters overall. Legendary also needs to continue to put an emphasis on fleshing out their world of original Titans for the sake of the franchise’s longevity.
They can expand the world around Godzilla with awesome new creatures, sure, but more importantly, they can be built up as key characters over the course of multiple movies, all without a licensing fee. Godzilla X Kong: Supernova needs to keep up the momentum on exploring some of the unused Titans in the world.
