A detail in the Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire trailer points to the return of a Godzilla: King of the Monsters Titan. Directed by Michael Dougherty, the 2019 Monsterverse movie made a massive contribution to Godzilla and Kong’s cinematic world through the new Titans it brought into the fold. Not only did it show off Monsterverse versions of Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan, but it created a handful of new creatures for Legendary to put in its toolbox.
Surprisingly, Legendary has yet to utilize any of King of the Monsters’ new Titans in live-action. Rodan and the original monsters all survived the end of the movie and technically could have appeared in Godzilla vs. Kong, but the 2021 sequel did nothing more than acknowledge them in its opening credits. However, that’s not to say the Monsterverse is done with Rodan, Scylla, Methuselah, Behemoth, and the third MUTO. In fact, what was shown in the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trailer creates the impression that at least one of them is indeed coming back.
Godzilla X Kong Teases Scylla’s Monsterverse Return
The 1:41 mark in the Godzilla x Kong trailer reveals what looks to be a Titan leg landing on the ground. What’s interesting about this is that it looks very much like the limbs of Scylla, the six-legged, cephalopod Titan from Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Not unlike the mystery monster in Godzilla x Kong, Scylla stood on slender, crab-like legs. A close look at its legs was provided in King of the Monsters when Scylla emerged from the oil fields in Arizona. Of course, there’s a chance that the close resemblance could be a coincidence, but even so, the similarities shouldn’t be overlooked.
Multiple monsters were already expected to join Godzilla and Kong in the movie, with Skar King, new Monsterverse Titan Shimo, and Titanus Doug all confirmed to make appearances. But with this particular shot in the marketing, Godzilla x Kong is suggesting that it’ll do more than just bring in brand-new Titans. From the looks of things, it also plans to make the most of the rich Titan library the Monsterverse already boasts.
Why Scylla Makes So Much Sense For Godzilla X Kong
Godzilla x Kong using Scylla – or any original Titan from King of the Monsters, for that matter – makes a lot of sense for the movie. While there may be a greater interest from the fanbase in seeing iconic Toho kaiju like Angurius join the Monsterverse, including original Titans is so much simpler and more cost-effective. Dougherty has explained before that getting the licensing rights to Toho’s monsters can be quite expensive, hence why original Titans were created in King of the Monsters in the first place.
It’s for that reason that original Titans like Scylla have arguably better odds at appearing in Godzilla x Kong than Anguirus or King Caesar. Due to the high prices attached to them, it’s unlikely that the Monsterverse would use these kaiju unless there was room for them to have major roles in the story. And based on the marketing, that doesn’t appear to be the case. But with Scylla, the Monsterverse can bring in a familiar face that doesn’t call for Legendary to pay a large sum to Toho.
What Happened To Scylla After Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
If Scylla does return, it’s worth noting that it won’t necessarily be the only thing that the Titan has done in Monsterverse canon since King of the Monsters. Scylla also appeared in Godzilla: Dominion, a Godzilla vs. Kong graphic novel prequel. The book revealed that two years after bowing down to Godzilla in Boston, Scylla reemerged in Georgia to absorb the radiation of a nuclear bomb. Godzilla intercepted her and tried to put her in her place, but Scylla resisted. Driven by her hunger for radiation, Scylla defied the Monsterverse alpha and attacked him.
Unsurprisingly, challenging Godzilla didn’t work out well for Scylla. With its skinny frame, Scylla was hardly a physical threat Godzilla and was subsequently overpowered with ease. Realizing that she was outmatched during the fight, Scylla surrendered. Godzilla accepted her defeat and left to check on some of the other Titans. After a few more fights, a tired Godzilla let out a roar that ordered all the Titans back into hibernation. Apparently, so many Titans being active in the wake of King of the Monsters had created an exhausting task for Godzilla.
His decision to send them to new resting places acts as an explanation for why Scylla and the others weren’t around in Godzilla vs. Kong. Thanks to Godzilla: Dominion’s ending, it can be assumed that Scylla is currently hibernating somewhere in the Monsterverse, though exactly which region she chose to be her new resting place remains to be seen. That could be a question for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire to answer.
Scylla’s Return Can Pay Off King Of The Monsters’ Ending
Though Scylla hasn’t had enough screen-time to establish herself as a Monsterverse favorite, her presence in Godzilla x Kong has the potential to lend the film a special moment nonetheless. Godzilla: King of the Monsters had what felt like a game-changing ending, but the new status quo it set for Godzilla has yet to be addressed on the big screen. By beating Ghidorah and earning bows from the other Titans, Godzilla effectively claimed the crown of King of the Monsters. But having that title meant very little in Godzilla vs Kong, considering that there were no Titans around for him to rule.
As a film focused on just Godzilla and Kong, Godzilla vs. Kong wasn’t in a good position to pay off Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ ending. Godzilla x Kong, on the other hand, looks to be relying more heavily on other Titans, which is a good sign not just for Scylla’s chances of showing up, but also for Godzilla to finally get an opportunity to be the King of the Monsters. For the first time, Godzilla can take advantage of the authority he gained from the 2019 movie by relying on his new Titan minions, Scylla included.
If Skar King really does represent the “colossal threat” the synopsis for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has implied him to be, Godzilla finally using his alpha Titan status may become necessary. As for what that may entail, it could be that Godzilla will summon Scylla – and perhaps even some of the other original King of the Monsters Titans – to fight by his and Kong’s side against the Monsterverse’s Skar King.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
- Release Date
- March 29, 2024
- Director
- Adam Wingard
- Cast
- Dan Stevens , Rebecca Hall , Brian Tyree Henry , Kaylee Hottle , Fala Chen
- Rating
- Not Yet Rated
