A surprising detail in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire creates the framework for the toughest battle in Godzilla and Kong’s lifetimes. Despite Godzilla x Kong’s ending pitting the pair against two powerful Titans and the Great Ape army, the odds could have been exponentially worse. Depending on the villains chosen for Godzilla vs. Kong 3, that could very well be the case next time.

Other than the announcement that Grant Sputore will be directing, very little is known about Legendary’s plans for the forthcoming Godzilla x Kong sequel. What can be presumed, based on the nature of the franchise and monster movies in general, is that once again Godzilla and Kong will be up against some formidable Titan foes. As their third team-up, it stands to reason that it’ll find a way to up the stakes once more. Interestingly, a pathway toward that was curiously hinted at in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Monarch’s Titan Count Gives The Monsterverse The Tools For A Massive War

A mysterious monster was labeled “Titan 245”

A marker on a monitor screen confirmed that Monarch has knowledge of at least 245 Titans. Such a staggering number of giant creatures existing on Earth creates an ever-present threat to humanity; they may be hibernating now, but a mass awakening could doom the planet. Godzilla: King of the Monsters was evidence of that; King Ghidorah’s rise was treated like a doomsday event, as he was terraforming the planet and directing a legion of Titans to destroy human cities. But as dangerous as he was, it’s important to note that Ghidorah commanded less than 20 Titans. Clearly, his army could have been substantially bigger.

The existence of 245 Titans raises questions about what Godzilla and Kong would do if a catastrophic event in the Monsterverse brought them all out of hibernation at the same time. The chaos that would ensue would be ripe for a Monsterverse team-up on a scale that trumps that of all other movies in Godzilla and Kong’s franchise. At the end of Godzilla x Kong, Godzilla, Kong, and Mothra were challenged by just the Monsterverse’s Skar King and Shimo; the prospect of over a hundred Titans being on the loose would give the sequel the tools to unleash a final battle unlike any other that Godzilla and Kong have ever experienced.

With 245 Titans, The Monsterverse Can Easily Introduce More Toho Kaiju

Are Monsters Like Anguirus And Gorosaurus Hiding In The Monsterverse?

Of the 245 Titans Monarch is known to be keeping an eye on, chances are high that at least a few of them are familiar faces from Toho’s classic Godzilla movies. Two additional Monsterverse Titans were previously confirmed to be Toho properties – Mothra and Rodan – but all the Titans introduced since have been original to the Monsterverse. If the current trend is any indication, the vast majority are also new creatures, but some from Toho’s films could be sprinkled in as well, as was the case with King of the Monsters‘ Titan roster.

As King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty once claimed, the whole point of the movie revealing that Monarch was continuously finding more Titans was to set up more Toho kaiju. Now, Monarch has a seamless and easy way of bringing in a monster like Ebirah, Anguirus, or Gorosaurus, any of which could be a monster hibernating somewhere under the surface. If they get woken up along with the other Titans, they could join in the action, with their history as a classic Godzilla villain or ally likely determining what side they land on.

Unleashing All Of The Monsterverse’s Titans Would Fix 1 Issue With Godzilla x Kong’s Final Battle

Godzilla vs. Kong 3’s Final Battle Wouldn’t Suffer From Low Stakes

By heading in this direction, Godzilla vs. Kong would be able to effortlessly avoid the same issue that Godzilla x Kong faced in terms of its stakes. While Shimo and Skar King were both depicted as powerful Titans, the fight still didn’t capture the same sense of danger offered by Godzilla vs. Kong’s final showdown or even Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Both movies notably pit Godzilla in mortal peril. In Godzilla vs. Kong, for instance, Godzilla came uncomfortably close to meeting the same fate as the female MUTO from the 2014 Godzilla film. Strikingly, the same couldn’t be said of Godzilla (or Kong) in Godzilla x Kong’s final scenes, as neither appeared to be at any real risk of losing.

Though the destruction of the Skar King’s crystal was taken as a winning moment for Godzilla and Kong, the movie never made it seem absolutely necessary. After all, it had already proved that Kong could beat Skar King, plus Godzilla seemed to be a good match for Shimo. Because Godzilla and Kong may have been able to beat Shimo and Skar King on their own, there wasn’t a great feeling of urgency compared to previous installments. However, there would be little chance of that situation repeating itself if Godzilla vs. Kong 3 unleashes an all-out Titan War. In those circumstances, Godzilla and Kong would be the clear underdogs.

A Titan War Would Be The Perfect Story For Godzilla vs. Kong 3

A Titan War Could Be Where It All Leads

Forcing Godzilla and Kong into such a dire situation could be the perfect story for their next movie. When looking at where the Monsterverse has been headed since Godzilla: King of the Monsters, a Titan War always made sense as an eventual destination for the Monsterverse. Wars between monsters and humans were discussed in the Godzilla: King of the Monsters credits, Godzilla vs. Kong went over myths of a Titan War, and Godzilla x Kong provided a rich history lesson about one fought between Godzilla and Skar King’s army. But for all the Monsterverse’s talk of war, one still hasn’t been shown in full.

Due to its continued emphasis on war being a part of Titan history, one finally playing out onscreen in modern times would serve as a fitting culmination of everything the Monsterverse has done thus far. To have hundreds of Titans rise up and engage in a war fought across the Earth’s surface – and perhaps the Monsterverse’s Hollow Earth world – would allow viewers to witness firsthand the types of wide-scale monster fights that were said to have occurred thousands of years ago. Since there’s obviously enough Titans in the Monsterverse for this to theoretically work, it’s certainly a plausible way for the Monsterverse to up the ante for the sequel.