Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Godzilla’s fondness for the Roman Colosseum in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire goes much deeper than what the movie itself reveals. Typically, Godzilla spends most of his in the ocean, but Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire saw the King of the Monsters find a suitable resting place on the surface as well. After defeating Scylla from Godzilla: King of the Monsters in Rome, Godzilla turned the Colosseum into his own personal bed.

Godzilla’s presence in Rome undoubtedly created a precarious situation for the humans, considering that it meant anyone in the area was at risk of losing their homes and their lives the moment he awoke. After all, there was no predicting how long Godzilla would stay in one place. And while he eventually did leave to face off with Tiamat, his departure was ultimately just a temporary reprieve for the city. Upon helping Kong beat Skar King in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s ending, Godzilla made his way back to the Colosseum to resume his nap.

The Colosseum Reminds Godzilla Of His Ancient Hollow Earth Home

It Resembles His Former Home

Because Godzilla went back to the Colosseum, it’s clear that he didn’t just sleep there because of its convenient location at the time of his fight with Scylla. Godzilla has a certain level of appreciation for the Colosseum, which is elaborated on in the movie’s official novelization. When Godzilla goes there in the book, it’s explained that Godzilla sees the architecture of the building as comparable to that of his ancient Hollow Earth temple.

The temple was briefly on display in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. In the movie, it was revealed that Godzilla once lived in a now-underwater city at a temple built for him by humans. This city and the temple represented a different era in the Monsterverse timeline because they proved that there was once a time when Titans and humans could live in harmony. As evidenced by the murals on the walls, Godzilla was worshiped by these people. What’s more, Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty has confirmed that they were the first society ever to make contact with Godzilla.

The Colosseum Serves As A Tragic Reminder Of Godzilla’s Backstory

It Shows How Sad Godzilla’s Monsterverse Story Really Is

Of course, that period in the Monsterverse’s history has long since passed, as the city became flooded with water and the civilization died out millennia ago. Evidently, the ruins of the city remained important to Godzilla nonetheless, as it was the place he went to when the United States military tried to kill him with the Oxygen Destroyer weapon in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. But what was left of it was destroyed when Dr. Serizawa activated the nuke in an effort to supercharge Godzilla. With even the ruins gone now, nothing at all remains of Godzilla’s home.

This adds a tragic element to Godzilla’s story, which is an aspect of it that’s gotten very little attention since King of the Monsters. Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong put considerably more focus on Kong’s lonely existence in the Monsterverse. The Monsterverse seemed to overlook the fact that Godzilla shares a similarly sad history. But in the context of the novelization, his visits to the Colosseum can be seen as poignant reminders of his past. They also act as subtle confirmation that Godzilla, contrary to the notion that he isn’t relatable in the same way that Kong is, is also capable of sentimental attachments.

What Happened To Godzilla’s Hollow Earth Home?

Godzilla x Kong Proves The Monsterverse Hasn’t Forgotten Godzilla’s Home, But It Still Hasn’t Told The Full Story

The hidden significance of the Colosseum in Godzilla x Kong raises another question, which pertains to the fate of Godzilla’s home. Godzilla x Kong shed light on the history of the Monsterverse’s Great Apes, but so much still hasn’t spelled out onscreen when it comes to Godzilla’s roots. The story told in the redacted text of the King of the Monsters credits did provide some hints, though. According to the credits, humans once worshiped Titans, but eventually tried to enslave them, leading to a war and the destruction of these ancient civilizations. Whether or not this story also describes what happened to Godzilla’s city remains to be seen.

The idea that Godzilla was ultimately betrayed by the humans who revered him would make his story all the more sad, but it’s not implausible. Even so, it’s not the only potential explanation; it’s possible that the civilization was undone by wars with the ones that were trying to control the Titans. If Titans were fighting each other at the behest of these societies, that could explain why Godzilla’s city became just a ruin at the bottom of the ocean. If they died defending him or fighting by his side, Godzilla may have good memories of the people too, and not just the temple itself.

It could be that answers to this mystery will finally present themselves in a Godzilla x Kong sequel. Though Adam Wingard won’t be involved, his idea for a Godzilla-focused follow-up to Godzilla x Kong could call for the Monsterverse to circle back to the fate of his ancient Hollow Earth home. That could go hand-in-hand with Godzilla’s current resting place, especially if he’s still there when Godzilla vs. Kong 3 begins. If that happens, his reasons for sleeping in the Colosseum could be much more overt, which could be juxtaposed nicely with a story that relates directly to the destruction of the Hollow Earth civilization.

What Inspired Godzilla’s Colosseum Nap In Godzilla x Kong

Godzilla’s Colosseum Nap Came From The Imagination Of Adam Wingard

Thanks to the novelization, it’s understood that Godzilla’s choice of resting place in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has special meaning, but as for the creative reasoning behind it, the explanation is surprisingly simple. Godzilla x Kong director Adam Wingard has explained that it was his cat that gave him the idea for the Colosseum scenes. It would seem that seeing his cat lying in his cat bed while working on the plan for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire made him decide to come up with a sequence where Godzilla lies down in a comfortable but compact space.