With cinemagoers far and wide getting ready for the first batch of projects on the 2024 movie schedule, MonsterVerse fans are getting ready to welcome Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and its titular titans. But if a new social media post is correct, the climate surrounding this movie is about to become a lot more exciting. That’s because a fan-favorite creature might be coming back to the fold, despite the fact that they should have returned much sooner, as per previous franchise plans.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s Potential Returning Titan
Recently, a Twitter user shared what looks to be a photo of some promotional material that could change what we know about Godzilla x Kong. Showing several Titans in keychain form, and with rather blurry quality in play, we can’t get too much knowledge from this image. However, it looks like some form of Mothra will apparently be in play for director Adam Wingard’s kaiju-based sequel; as well as "B.E.A.S.T. Kong" and "Godzilla Evolved," aka "Pink Godzilla."
So far, there doesn’t seem to be any clues to this grand return in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s first trailer. Though maybe it’s time we all took a nice, close look and tried to see what’s really being shown during that initial sizzle reel. Frankly, if this happens to be true, I couldn’t be happier about this news.
Especially since, as any MonsterVerse fan with a keen eye and long memory will tell you, Mothra was already supposed to have returned twice. Which means it's time for a mini-history lesson in MonsterVerse what ifs.
How Mothra Almost Made An Earlier MonsterVerse Return
Last seen in the climactic finale to 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Mothra sacrificed herself to revive Godzilla, who then promptly handed King Ghidorah all three of its heads. Both co-writer/director Michael Dougherty’s film, as well as Godzilla vs. Kong deleted a Mothra post-credits tag, in which we would have seen further hints that this beloved creature was bound to be resurrected.
That's not all we lost, as our own Adam Holmes revealed, per remarks from costume designer Ann Foley, that Mothra’s mythos was supposed to be expanded in the 2021’s MonsterVerse blockbuster. Actor Zhang Ziyi was even set to reprise her King of the Monsters roles as Drs. Ilene and Ling Chen in Godzilla vs. Kong, before her eventual deletion from the movie.
And then, out of nowhere, the streamlined Godzilla vs. Kong we saw in theaters removed the Mothra Twins once again. Not to mention, late actor Lance Reddick's role was heavily trimmed, per a report from sibling site GamesRadar, and The Matrix Resurrections star Jessica Henwick was dropped from the film entirely.
After years of absence, Mothra just might return in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. While we probably won't see any of the Godzilla vs. Kong cast’s suggestions for where she might have been explained, but it's still comforting that Godzilla's loving mate may return to embrace the lizard god once more.
In the meantime, if you feel so inclined, you can always brush up on past MonsterVerse history through the world of streaming. January 2024’s additions to what’s new on Hulu will include both that film, as well as Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which will come online at the beginning of the new year. I gotta say, a massive atomic blast of excitement seems like a great way to bring in the new year, which only stokes the fires higher for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s April 12, 2024 release.
