Godzilla: King Of The Monsters’ Atlantis Sets Up Multiple New Titans

The world of Legendary’s MonsterVerse expanded in a big way in Godzilla: King of the Monsters when Monarch found an ancient underwater civilization. This could pave the way for the discovery of even more Titans, as this forgotten civilization could potentially have ties to a few classic Toho monsters.

During a pivotal scene in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Monarch finds proof for Houston Brooks’ “Hollow Earth” theory when they discover an ancient city deep in the underground tunnels in the ocean. This is where Godzilla seeks shelter while he recuperates. At this moment it becomes clear that this place is Godzilla’s home, and a place where he was once worshiped as a god.

Of course, Godzilla:King of the Monsters’ underwater civilization has drawn plenty of comparisons to the mythical lost city of Atlantis. While an exact location was never given for the movie’s unnamed city, it’s most likely in the Atlantic Ocean, since the Monarch ship was in Bermuda prior to traveling underground. The Atlantic Ocean is (for somewhat obvious reasons) depicted as the resting place of Atlantis, so it does seem reasonable that the city in King of the Monsters is the MonsterVerse’s take on Atlantis.

A connection between Godzilla and an underwater civilization – whether it be Atlantis or a completely original kingdom – is particularly interesting because of what it could mean for Legendary’s cinematic universe. Here are some of the Toho monsters who could be linked to the MonsterVerse’s Atlantis.

Gigan & Megalon

In 1973’s Godzilla vs. Megalon, nuclear underground testing by the Japanese greatly angered the people of the subterranean kingdom known as Seatopia, a place that had existed for thousands of years. In retaliation, Seatopia summoned their god, Megalon, to take vengeance on the humans. Seatopia also managed to acquire the help of Gigan. It took the combined strength of Godzilla and Jet Jaguar to drive off the two monsters, forcing Seatopia to give up on their plans to defeat the surface world.

Some have speculated that the underwater civilization in Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the MonsterVerse’s Seatopia. If this were true, it would open the door for another movie in the series to introduce Megalon or Gigan. Megalon is a beetle-like kaiju capable of burrowing underground, while Gigan is an alien cyborg with hook-like blades for hands. Gigan is widely regarded as a potential villain for Godzilla 3 due his popularity with fans, which includes Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Mike Dougherty. Gigan was featured in concept art for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which reveals that Gigan was originally considered for one of the Titans who gathered around Godzilla in the movie’s final scene.

Gamera

If Godzilla: King of the Monsters did indeed introduce Atlantis, it wouldn’t be the first movie to associate the mythical island with a famous kaiju. Atlantis is the birthplace of Gamera, the Guardian of the Universe. Gamera is a giant turtle-like monster who breathes fire and flies by shooting jets out of the leg holes in his shell.

In the Gamera trilogy from the 1990s, the Atlanteans were an ancient, advanced race who created a species called the Gyaos. When the Gyaos turned on them, the Atlanteans created Gamera, who was designed to be a force for good. Unfortunately, the Gyaos destroyed the Atlanteans, but Gamera defeated them and devoted himself to protecting the Earth.

While certainly not a household name to Western audiences, Gamera has amassed a huge fan following in Japan. Gamera has served as the titular character in 12 movies, which arguably makes him one of the Japanese movie industry’s most iconic monsters. Gamera was created by rival Toho company Daiei, but some of his films were distributed by Toho.

Like Gigan, Gamera was one of the three previously established monsters included in concept art for the final scene. So it seems possible that Godzilla may not have been the only Titan worshiped as a god in Atlantis.

Battra

In the 1992 movie, Godzilla vs. Mothra, it was established that long ago an ancient culture invented a device that would allow them to manipulate the climate. The Earth, acting as a sentient being, created a monster called Battra to punish the people. Battra, often referred to as  “The Black Mothra”, was opposed by his righteous counterpart.

The most notable difference between Battra and Mothra is that Mothra is the protector of the people of Earth, while Battra only cares about safeguarding the planet itself. Mothra defeated Battra, but at a great cost. The Earth was flooded, the civilization was destroyed, and was lost forever.

No one knows what happened to the city that was found in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but given the importance of Mothra to the MonsterVerse, it could be that Mothra’s backstory is interwoven with Godzilla’s, especially since they’re shown to have a symbiotic relationship. If this is the case, Mothra’s arch enemy Battra could be in the picture as well.

Anguirus

On Twitter, Dougherty responded to a fan question about extra Easter eggs in Godzilla: King of the Monsters by revealing that a skeleton of a creature who “might or might not be Anguirus” is visible in a single shot during the scene where Dr. Serizawa travels through Godzilla’s underwater lair. While this scene does show what looks like a rib cage on the ground, it’s hard to say if it shares any distinguishing characteristics of Anguirus, a monster who resembles a giant ankylosaurus.

In Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Destroys All Monsters, Anguirus was a faithful ally and companion of Godzilla who fought alongside him against villains such as King Ghidorah and Gigan. Dougherty’s comment could suggest that Anguirus is – or was – a part of the MonsterVerse, and may have even co-existed with Godzilla in Atlantis. This would mean that in the past, Godzilla and Anguirus could have shared the same relationship that the two had in classic Toho movies. A movie that further explores Atlantis could reveal if Anguirus’ species ever really lived there, or if one of them could still exist.

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