The Monsterverse loves to give fans updated versions of beloved monsters. Obviously we have Godzilla and Kong, but we’ve also gotten the likes of Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Rodan. It’s a delight for fans of these older movies, especially the Showa era of Toho monster flicks. But a single appearance isn’t enough! We want these Titans to come back for more. Thankfully Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire heeded our wishes and brought back one of the most beloved of all giant monsters.
It’s Mothra! Yes, the Queen of the Monsters returns following her heroic yet all-too-brief appearance in 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. We’d hoped for her return (or even her own solo movie, hint hint) ever since, but since she didn’t appear in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, we weren’t sure. Thankfully, Godzilla x Kong brought her back to us.
As our human heroes—especially the former Skull Island-resident Jia (Kaylee Hottle)—make their way into the Hollow Earth, they find out Jia isn’t the last of her people after all. They had gone inward, inside the Hollow Earth. They now live behind a barrier to keep the Skar King from reaching them. Jia then learns that she is the conduit to speak to the Hollow Earth’s guardian. When said guardian awakens from inside a massive chrysalis, it’s none other than Mothra!
While it’s never entirely explained how Mothra got away at the end of King of the Monsters, we now know she went into hiding, perhaps to heal from her wounds. Whatever the reason, she is clutch in defending Jia and her people from the Skar King’s hordes during the above ground fight with the other two Titans.
Mothra’s screen time here is also pretty brief. However, now that she’s back and has her own job to do, we can hope she makes many more appearances in the Monsterverse.
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Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
