Godzilla x Kong’s Surprise Titan Was Almost A New Monster

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire!

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire director Adam Wingard explains how a surprise Titan appearance in the movie was almost an original monster instead. While the film’s Titan story centers around Kong and Godzilla fighting the Skar King and Shimo, the interweaving human story involves discovering the Iwi people in the Hollow Earth. They are revealed to have a major connection to Mothra, who becomes a key component in bringing the movie’s titular Titans together near the end of the film.

However, speaking with TheWrap, Wingard revealed Mothra’s role in Godzilla x Kong‘s ending was almost given to an entirely new Titan. The director revealed this Titan’s name would have been Phosphera, and would have had many similarities to Mothra. However, the new monster was always intended as a placeholder if the more familiar kaiju couldn’t be used. Check out what Wingard had to say below:

There was briefly another character called Phosphera that we had in place of Mothra. But Mothra was always what the character was written around. And there’s this false narrative online that this other character tested badly, and then we were like, ‘Let’s get Mothra.’ The plan was always Mothra. But we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to get Mothra. And once we tested the movie, we had the previous version of that, and by then, things had cleared up and we were able to do Mothra.

It would have been really dumb to not do Mothra because if you look at this other creature, it did and said everything the way Mothra does things, but it would have been another creature. It would have been very disappointing if, ultimately, we wouldn’t have been able to land that. I don’t like that some people think that it wasn’t the plan all along. If you look at the very first draft of the script, it always says Mothra.

Why Godzilla x Kong Needed Mothra Instead Of A New Titan

Mothra plays a key role in getting Godzilla and Kong to work together in the movie. After she is brought back to life by Jia, the massive moth Titan interrupts the main duo’s battle in Egypt, managing to calm Godzilla before he can kill his rival. Her appearance makes the lizard kaiju understand what’s going on, deciding to help out in the battle against the Skar King in the Hollow Earth.

Since Godzilla almost killed Kong in their rematch, it was important that a Titan interrupted them before something untoward happened. Since Godzilla: King of the Monsters previously established his connection to Mothra, her being the one to get him to calm down made more sense than if a random, new monster did the same thing. Her connection to Jia, who in turn can communicate with Kong, makes for a symbolic comparison between the two main monsters. Both of them now have a figure they’re connected to who can warn them of real dangers from other Titans.

Mothra also lives at the end of the movie, restoring the Iwi’s protective barrier to keep their home hidden once again. This sets the stage for her return in a future film, allowing for a quicker resolution to a conflict between Godzilla and Kong if the pair start fighting again. It also gives the Hollow Earth a new protector, expanding the number of familiar Titans who exist in the Monsterverse. If the well-known kaiju hadn’t been in Godzilla x Kong, certain elements of the film wouldn’t feel as earned or make as much sense.