The Godzilla vs. Kong opening credits listed several MonsterVerse Titans as “defeated.” This has resulted in viewers being concerned that creatures like Rodan, who survived the ending of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, died sometime in the aftermath of the big fight. Thankfully, some evidence suggests otherwise.
The intro of the movie looked back at previous MonsterVerse installments and some of the monsters that the titular Titans have encountered in the past by showing off the files that Monarch has compiled on them. The monsters pictured in the credits aside from Godzilla and Kong were the male and female MUTOs, Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan, King of the Monsters’ third MUTO, Behemoth, Methuselah, Scylla, the Mire Squid, and the giant Skullcrawler. All of these Titans were labeled as “defeated,” even though not all of these monsters shared the same fate. Many did die, but Rodan and King of the Monsters’ original Titans lived.
After watching the opening credits, many were left with the impression that Rodan, Behemoth, Methuselah, Scylla, and the third MUTO all died off-screen, considering they were lumped in with the dead Titans. But, it’s likely that “defeated” doesn’t necessarily mean “dead” in the MonsterVerse. Instead, it makes more sense that it’s more of a blanket term that applies to all Titans who have lost their shot at obtaining alpha status and are no longer on the table. These five Titans may not have been killed by Godzilla, but they did submit to him after he took down Ghidorah. Therefore, they have been removed from contention, leaving only Godzilla and Kong to compete for alpha status. That would explain why the Titans’ pictures are displayed in what appears to be some sort of tournament bracket.
The King of the Monsters’ credits, the Godzilla vs. Kong novelization, and the prequel graphic novel, Godzilla: Dominion, support this idea with what they said about where the Titans are. Some found new homes after the fight. Rodan, for example, was asleep in a volcano in Fiji. Behemoth and Scylla were both involved in Titan battles after King of the Monsters, but the two survived. And at the end of Dominion, Godzilla called all of the Titans back into hibernation. That means the five Titans are all very much alive; they’re just inactive right now. All Monarch knows, though, is that they’re gone and are no longer a threat, which makes sense of the “defeated” label.
The Titans being asleep is good news for those hoping that they might return in future movies beyond Godzilla vs Kong. In order for Godzilla to have a fair fight with Kong, the other Titans had to be taken out of the equation, but there may be room for them later on down the line. It could be that the next villain will be so powerful that Godzilla will be forced to call his minions back to the surface.
