Godzilla vs Kong's Titan Home
James Stevens Godzilla vs. Kong provided a much deeper understanding of the Hollow Earth world under the surface and the original Titan home of the two monsters.
Godzilla vs. Kong provided a much deeper understand of the Hollow Earth world and the original Titan home of the two monsters. The underground corner of the MonsterVerse wasn’t the setting for any of Kong’s fights with Godzilla, but it was ultimately central to the plot of the movie.
While the characters tied to the “Team Godzilla” side of the story were focused on the mystery of APEX and the real reason for Godzilla’s aggressive behavior against humanity, Kong’s journey pertained to the Hollow Earth. Apparently, APEX had discovered an invaluable energy resource far beneath the surface and were willing to do whatever it took to get it. As a result, Dr. Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård), Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), Jia (Kaylee Hottle), and Maya Simmons (Eiza Gonzáalez) traveled to an access point to the Hollow Earth in Antarctica. Kong was taken with them, as it was believed that he could guide them through tunnels during their search for the energy source APEX needed, and also protect them from any potential threats.
The place these characters went in Godzilla vs. Kong is loosely based on a real-life idea that dates back hundreds of years. Ancient civilizations had myths about an entire world that exists underground, hidden from the eyes of humans. In the 18th century, there were scientists who firmly believed in a “Hollow Earth” theory, which postulated that the planet was actually hollow, and that there’s a massive, empty space under the surface. The scientific community disproved it long ago, but the MonsterVerse brought it back in an interesting way and expanded on it. Here’s what’s now known about the Titans’ secret world in Legendary’s MonsterVerse.
Hollow Earth History In The MonsterVerse
The first mention of the Hollow Earth in the MonsterVerse was dropped in Kong: Skull Island. At the time, the concept of a Hollow Earth was supported by Dr. Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) and Bill Randa (John Goodman), who believed that one of the entry points to this place was at Kong’s home, Skull Island. While there, they found evidence that corroborated their theory.
The third installment in the franchise, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, revisited the idea and made it integral to MonsterVerse lore. After Godzilla was hit by the Oxygen Destroyer, Monarch descended down into the ocean to revive him. While searching for him, they found a secret tunnel into a cavern where the Titan was recuperating. To their shock, it was found out that humans had built a city down there, where they worshipped Godzilla and the other Titans. Their civilization fell long ago, seemingly as a consequence of a war between Man and monster. Though it was nothing more than a ruins at this point, it appeared that Godzilla still regarded it as his home. The discovery of this tunnel and the underwater city within it confirmed to Monarch that Kong: Skull Island’s Dr. Brooks was right all along about the existence of the Hollow Earth, which explained how Titans were able to traverse the planet without being noticed by humans. There were tunnels all over the planet that made it possible for them to get from one corner of the Earth to another.
Hollow Earth Explained In MonsterVerse
Much more about the Hollow Earth was uncovered in Godzilla vs. Kong. Prior to the movie, Dr. Lind theorized – correctly – that it was the “birthplace” of the Titans, which means that many of them must have left their original home for some reason or another. Plus, it was explained that this place isn’t just a lifeless, empty cavern. Just as Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir) said, the Hollow Earth possesses an “ecosystem vast as any ocean”. It has green grass, all sorts of different monsters, water, trees, mountains, clouds, and more. As for how any of this was possible, Simmons made sense of it when he told Dr. Lind about a mysterious “lifeforce” that somehow sustains the Hollow Earth’s world and keeps it going, much like the sun sustains the Earth’s ecosystem. It also has what was described by Dr. Lind as a “gravitational inversion”, which is why APEX’s aerial vehicles were a necessary form of transportation.
What was perhaps their most intriguing discovery was the ring of blue energy Kong found. It was activated when he placed the axe of his ancestors in a crevice that acted as a keyhole of sorts. Whatever it was, it was connected to Godzilla, who is possibly powered by the same atomic energy. Godzilla’s link to it was confirmed when he responded at the exact moment that Kong triggered it.
Hollow Earth's Titans & Ancient War
While they were in the Hollow Earth, Dr. Andrews said that there were myths about an ancient “Titan War” that involved the ancestors of Godzilla and Kong. It would seem that long ago, both of their species lived down there and fought each other. This does make sense, as it finally gives an adequate explanation for the Godzilla Easter egg in Kong: Skull Island’s post-credits scene. A cave painting showed the two fighting, which did indicate that Godzilla and Kong’s ancestors shared a history. It reappeared again in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. What Kong came across in the Hollow Earth suggests that his kind were quite advanced. They had a door, a throne, and a powerful axe built from Godzilla’s back spikes.
Kong was disappointed to find that no other members of his species still dwelled in their former home. However, it did host other lifeforms. The group encountered several other monsters, many of which resembling dinosaurs from ancient times. They weren’t Titans, but they were similar in many ways to the creatures that Kong often had to fight on Skull Island. That’s not surprising, especially when taking into consideration Dr. Andrews’ theory that Skull Island was the product of the Hollow Earth’s environment expanding onto the surface.
Kong Is King Of The Hollow Earth
The ending of Godzilla vs. Kong offered a new twist to Kong’s MonsterVerse story. Kong being sucked into APEX’s mission to build Mechagodzilla handed him numerous challenges, but in the end, it gave him a brand-new role. Godzilla may be the alpha of the surface world, but Kong is the “king” of the Hollow Earth now. It’s a fitting way for his Godzilla vs. Kong arc to end, given the fact that Hollow Earth – and not Skull Island – is the real home of his species.
