How Godzilla Changed MUTO’s Death To Avoid Copying Kong

Godzilla’s killing move against the female MUTO was changed in the 2014 Godzilla movie to avoid copying King Kong. In the film, he famously killed the creature by prying open her jaws and pouring a blast of blue atomic breath down her throat. It singed her insides so badly that her head became separated from her body. Afterward, Godzilla dropped the head to the ground and roared triumphantly.

This was one of three memorable killing blows that the MonsterVerse’s Godzilla has landed on his fellow Titans. In the same movie, Godzilla killed the female MUTO’s mate with a well-timed tail smack that left him impaled on a building. Instead of engaging in a long rematch with the female after finding her again, Godzilla immediately jumped straight for the kill. Against Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla annihilated him with two nuclear pulses, and was seen devouring the final head once the smoke had cleared.

As for Godzilla’s second finishing move in the MonsterVerse, it almost happened quite differently. Godzilla director Gareth Edwards has explained in the past that they had intended for him to take out the MUTO by breaking her jaw. But after some discussion, it was agreed that this approach felt too much like something that King Kong would do. For that reason, it was agreed that a new way to kill the MUTO should be found. While brainstorming, Edwards jokingly suggested a scene where Godzilla “vomits blue breath” in a moment that would be “nearly a kiss”.

At first, they felt it was too “absurd” to actually work on the screen, but to their surprise, it actually went over very well in a test screening. According to Edwards, Godzilla blasting the MUTO’s head off was “everyone’s favorite moment” [via Empire]. Due to the response to the scene, it was kept in the film. This turned out be a good decision, because it did indeed please both casual viewers and long-time fans. Though it was a bit similar to Godzilla allowing Orga’s body to consume him and then blasting him apart with a nuclear pulse in Godzilla 2000, it was still different enough to be considered a unique moment for the franchise. Plus, it adequately captured the ruthless and no-nonsense approach that Godzilla takes to his fights in Toho’s movies.

Also, it’s worth noting that Edwards was right to steer clear of any Kong comparisons, and that’s exactly what it would have invoked if they had kept the original ending. Kong broke the jaws of a dinosaur in the 1933 original, and he’s done it on other occasions as well, such as the time he killed Gorosaurus in Toho’s King Kong Escapes. While Godzilla certainly shares Kong’s brutality, it’s important that he stands on his own – and eviscerating a giant monster’s insides by blasting atomic breath down their throat is an epic move that just feels perfect for Godzilla, and Godzilla only.

About The Author