Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Summary
- Mothra returns in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire to unite Godzilla and Kong in a surprising team-up against Skar King.
- Jia's connection to Mothra leads to her reawakening, fulfilling an Iwi prophecy vital to the Monsterverse's future.
- Mothra's unexpected resurrection through the Hollow Earth temple sets the stage for epic team-ups in future Monsterverse films.
Thanks to an unexpected addition to Monsterverse lore, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire heralded the long-awaited return of Mothra. Mothra, who lost her life in the fight against Ghidorah and Rodan in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, missed out on Godzilla vs. Kong but wound up being crucial to the plot of the 2024 sequel. Not only was the Queen of the Monsters vital to the movie's human storyline, but she was also able to take part in the action.
Reawakened by Jia, Mothra became the key to Godzilla and Kong's reluctant team-up. Showing up at the last minute to stop Godzilla from killing Kong, she accomplished the impressive feat of getting Godzilla to accept an alliance with his ancient rival. Brought together by Mothra for the Monsterverse's Skar King and freeing Shimo from his control. However, it's hard to say if the villain's defeat would have happened if it wasn't for the surprise discovery of Mothra's secret Hollow Earth temple.
Mothra Returns As Part Of An Iwi Prophecy In Godzilla x Kong
The Iwi are tied to Mothra and Kong in the Monsterverse
It was revealed in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire that Mothra shares a special connection to the Iwi tribe, the people who once worshipped Kong on Skull Island. As it turns out, they - much like Kong himself - have their origins in the Godzilla x Kong's human characters learned the full story behind the ancient Titan War, which ended with Godzilla imprisoning Skar King. An Iwi prophecy foretold that Mothra would be needed for his return.
The Iwi residing in the hidden temple were of the belief that Mothra would forces with Godzilla to defeat Skar King when he inevitably broke free of his prison and renewed his war on the surface world. Because of Shimo's immense power, a team-up between Godzilla and Mothra was deemed necessary. But, Mothra was dormant and unable to take part in the fight on her own. It was for that reason that the Iwi sent out a distress call that Monarch was able to detect on the surface.
How Jia Reawakens Mothra In Godzilla x Kong's Ending
Jia's destiny in the Monsterverse was to unleash Mothra
Of course, the Iwi's distress call was not meant for Monarch, as it was meant to be sensed by Jia. The Iwi of the Hollow Earth possess a telepathic ability to communicate with one another. It was on of this power that Jia unconsciously picked up their signal while in school. Seeing it gave her undecipherable visions of what was going to happen. The distress call ultimately worked out as planned, as it brought Jia and the other main characters to the temple where the Iwi waited.
Based on what was established in Godzilla x Kong, none of the people in the temple were capable of reviving Mothra. For reasons that weren't fully explained, the prophecy specified that it had to be an Iwi from Skull Island that reawakened Mothra. Since the rest of the Iwi were wiped out by the storm that ravaged Skull Island before Godzilla vs. Kong, that left Jia as the only person who had what it took to unleash Mothra. By arriving at the temple and completing the prophecy, Jia managed to awaken Mothra just in time for her to unite Godzilla and Kong.
In a sense, Jia's connection to Mothra makes her the Monsterverse counterpart to the twin fairies from Toho's films. In these movies, the pair are instrumental to the ritual that wakes up Mothra. The Monsterverse was thought to already have a version of these classic characters in Zhang Ziyi's Dr. Chen and Dr. Ling, but it looks like Godzilla x Kong has opted to let Jia take this role instead.
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Set Up A Very Different Return For Mothra
Mothra could have returned in a completely different way
While Mothra's return was a highly-anticipated moment for the Monsterverse, it's worth noting that the nature of her role wasn't what the movies had set up. After Mothra's death in Godzilla: King of the Monsters' ending, the credits revealed via a newspaper clipping that Monarch had found what was heavily implied to be a Mothra egg. This tease tied with director Michael Dougherty's comments about Mothra's life cycle, and how she can live on through her offspring. Since she had seemingly laid an egg before heading off to Boston, the Monsterverse had an easy way of resurrecting her.
Interestingly, though, the Monsterverse abandoned this particular setup. Rather than using the egg that should presumably still be in Monarch's custody somewhere on the surface, the Monsterverse revealed that the ancient Hollow Earth temple was the real key to Mothra's resurrection all along. For now, it's unclear what this means for the mysterious egg mentioned in King of the Monsters.
What Mothra's Return Means For The Monsterverse's Future
Will Mothra team up with Godzilla and Kong again?
In contrast to Godzilla: King of the Monsters (and several other Godzilla movies), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ends with Mothra among the living. Mothra has a long history of giving her life in service of a greater goal; her heroism led to tragic deaths in Mothra vs. Godzilla, Godzilla: Final Wars, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, and most recently, King of the Monsters. Godzilla x Kong went in a different direction by keeping Mothra alive, which should make it easier for the Monsterverse to facilitate another return.
Many of the movies that feature Mothra include a storyline that sees its human characters go on some sort of quest to awaken Mothra, and Godzilla x Kong was no exception. But since resurrecting Mothra won't be necessary for the next Monsterverse movie that uses her, less setup will be needed for her third appearance. If Godzilla vs. Kong 3 happens, Mothra should be on hand from the start of the film, allowing her to appear throughout the movie, rather making a grand entrance in the last act.
What's more, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire laid the groundwork for the next installment in the franchise to provide an even bigger team-up. Following Godzilla and Kong's win over Skar King, Kong was shown riding Shimo in his new Hollow Earth home. What that means is that a potential Godzilla vs. Kong 3 has the tools it needs for a team-up of at least four heroic Titans. The next villain who menaces the Monsterverse may find itself up against the combined forces of Godzilla, Kong, Mothra, and Shimo.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
- Release Date
- March 29, 2024
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
- Director
- Adam Wingard
Cast
Ilene Andrews
Brian Tyree HenryBernie Hayes
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio(s)
- Legendary Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
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