Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire director discloses plot twist replacing a major monster cameo
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire was filled to the brim with monsters. A Kaiju flick that tried fitting in as many titans as it could, fans got much more than just the titular beasts in the film, as the Skar King and Shimo graced the big screens in villainous roles. Alongside them, we also got Suko - a new baby ape - and returning monsters like Scylla and Tiamat, who made brief appearances during the film.
However, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire had another ace up its sleeve when it surprised fans with the return of Mothra in the movie. No one expected the majestic beast to be in it and it made the film all the more exciting.
However, even the filmmakers didn't expect for Mothra to be in the movie as the original plan was quite different, revealed director Adam Wingard in a recent interview.
Mothra replaced another monster in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
In an interview with The Wrap, director Adam Wingard revealed that Mothra was initially supposed to be an original creation of the Monsterverse, called Phosphera. She was supposed to have a more griffin-like look. However, she was later changed to Mothra in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and Wingard has an explanation for it.
He revealed that the character was always written around Mothra, but the team behind the film weren't sure if they were going to get permission to add Mothra into the movie. The plan was always to have Mothra in the movie, but for test screenings and the initial cut of the film, they had to go with Phosphera, in case their plan did not work out.
Once they got permission to add Mothra into Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, they ran with it.
Here's what Wingard said in the interview:
“There was briefly another character called Phosphera that we had in place of Mothra. But Mothra was always what the character was written around."
He continued:
“And there’s this false narrative online that this other character tested badly, and then we were like, ‘Let’s get Mothra.’ The plan was always Mothra. But we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to get Mothra. And once we tested the movie, we had the previous version of that, and by then, things had cleared up and we were able to do Mothra.”
How was Mothra revived in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire?
Mothra originally died in Godzilla: King of the Monsters when she was protecting the titular Kaiju in his fight against King Ghidorah. In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Mothra was revived by Jia when it was revealed that she was the chosen one for the Iwi tribe within Hollow Earth and that she would help bring back their protector.
Jia is successful in doing so and is able to bring back Mothra after a ceremony. The monster then helps Kong enlist Godzilla for the big showdown at the end. She also herself gets involved in the fight and takes out a few of Skar King's forces, and then reinstates the protective barrier that keeps the Iwi tribe safe from the monsters in Hollow Earth.
Fans can witness Mothra in action once again in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, as the film is playing in theatres right now.