Godzilla x Kong: The New Empirepits Godzilla against his long-standing rival once again, with the new movie including several Easter eggs from otherGodzillamovies. The two kaiju have occasionally teamed up to fight threats to humanity, butGodzilla and Kong are usually enemiesand each of theGodzilla/KongMonsterversefranchise moviesshows a different side to the iconic characters. InGodzilla x Kong, Kong finds himself on the surface of the Earth again, and while he and Godzilla have a larger threat to fight in the form of the Skar King, the two battle once more.
TheMonsterverse’s Godzilla and Kong movies and TV showshave no shortage of history to use to continue the stories of both Godzilla and Kong, as there are many villains and heroes that have not yet appeared in theMonsterversemovies. Many of these characters have been referenced either in brief glimpses of cave art, more subtle tributes to fighting moves in certain movie scenes, or, like inGodzilla x Kong, exciting hints at possible stories to come. Perhaps more than any otherGodzillamovie,Godzilla x Konghas given viewers glimpses of the future for both Godzilla and Kong, often through the subtle use of Easter eggs.
10Jet Jaguar
A Familiar Godzilla Theme Song Is Referenced
One unforgettable character that had been considered theleast likely to joinGodzilla’s rebootedMonsterversefranchise was Jet Jaguar. The friendly and heroic robot was one of theGodzillafranchise’s more child-friendly characters, and does not appear to fit the newMonsterverse, which has been prioritizing big visuals and fights between its iconic characters.
However,Godzilla x Kongreferenced the popular Jet Jaguarwith an Easter egg. Godzilla goes back to Rome inGodzilla x Kong, where there’s an interesting mural on the wall showing Godzilla eating pizza.
Next to him are the words “PUNCH! PUNCH! PUNCH!” This is the name of Jet Jaguar’s theme song, and just to underline the Jet Jaguar reference, there’s a sketch of his arm underneath the words. As humans are now making cybernetic modifications in theMonsterverse,the chances of a Jet Jaguar appearance may become more likely.
9Bernie’s Podcast
Planet X On The Horizon Could Be An Exciting Godzilla Movie Hint
The former cybernetics technician and podcaster Bernie Hayes first appeared inGodzilla vs. Kong, and he has been interested in the Roswell alien landing ever since. Bernie investigates and explores his conspiracy theories on his own podcast,Titan Truth, and he mentions a podcast inGodzilla x Kong, calledPlanet X On The Horizon.
There are several Planet X references on Bernie’s very detailed conspiracy wall, and this could hint at the bigger plan for laterGodzillamovies.Godzilla x Kongshows some of Bernie’s podcast episode titles, some of which also feature the name Planet X.
There are several Planet X references on Bernie’s very detailed conspiracy wall, and this could hint at the bigger plan for laterGodzillamovies.
This is a reference to the Godzilla movieInvasion of Astro-Monster, which has the mysterious Planet X as a central location. If Planet X is indeed “on the horizon,” this could hint that laterGodzillamovies will feature threats from space. As King Ghidorah is from space,Godzilla x Kongmay have shown viewers an upcoming villain.
8Podcast Troll
GhidorahStan64 Might Back Up The King Ghidorah Hint
Bernie reveals that he has been dealing witha troublesome troll inGodzilla x Kong, who is only known by the username GhidorahStan64. The name is a double reference, as the three-headed dragon King Ghidorah first appeared in theGodzillamovieGhidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, released in 1964.
King Ghidorah is one of theGodzillafranchise’s most formidable and sadistic villains, and he might return for more havoc. The ending ofGodzilla vs. Kongimplied that Ghidorah had been destroyed. After Ghidorah’s consciousness was transferred to Mechagodzilla, who was then destroyed by Kong, it appeared that the dragonlike space monster was no more.
That said,it is possible that Ghidorah’s consciousness survivedor part of him was collected to be reconstructed later. If Ghidorah has a super-fan on Earth, who is already making life difficult for Bernie, the villain may have more damage to do yet,
7Pink Godzilla
A Reference To One Of Godzilla’s Most Terrifying Appearances
Godzilla’s powers can change depending on the movie he is starring in, and many of theGodzillamovies show him taking on a signature color.Godzilla x Kong’s Godzilla has pink atomic breath, which has come from him absorbing Tiamat’s energy.Godzilla x Kongis the first movie to show Godzilla with pink atomic breath, but this new pink Godzilla resembles another version of the kaiju.
Monsterverse Hints Godzilla Will Have Another New Look In Godzilla x Kong’s Sequel
A detail about Godzilla’s design in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire makes it all the more likely that Godzilla will transform yet again in the sequel.
The mutation-themedShin Godzillais arguably the most disturbing of all theGodzillamovies, as he mutates throughout the movie. Shin Godzilla was able to produce a pink or purple full-body glow, and his spines carried the same color tint. Still, evenShin Godzilla’s atomic powers did not match the new version seen inGodzilla x Kong. As this color has come from the energy of another kaiju, it is unknown whether Godzilla will have these same powers in his next movie.
6The French Footprint
Godzilla x Kong References The Most Unpopular Godzilla Movie Ever
InGodzilla x Kong, Godzilla senses an upcoming battle and makes his way to a nuclear plant in France to absorb radiation. There is a very brief scene in whichFrench soldiers see the giant footprints left by Godzillaon his way to the power plant. The scene might be an Easter egg for aGodzillamovie flop that Japan’s Toho Studio hatedso much that they disowned it.
The 1998Godzillamovie reimagined Godzilla as an iguana-like monster. It took away most of the core features that made Godzilla’s story resonate with a Japanese audience, and the Toho publicist Yosuke Ogura described the design as “a disaster.” The French played a large role in the 1998Godzillamovie, and the footprint was one of its defining scenes, so the footprint reference inGodzilla x Kongis likely to be a quick and funny reminder.
5Godzilla Stomp
Godzilla Has Used This Move On Kong Before
Godzilla and Kong might have made an uneasy peace atthe end ofGodzilla vs. Kong, but that doesn’t mean that the two cannot still fight. InGodzilla x Kong, Godzilla briefly battles Kong once more and gives the giant ape kaiju a reminder of how things went the last time that this happened. While fighting among the pyramids,Godzilla stomps on Kong’s chest before Mothra arrives to break the two up.
This fighting move is an Easter egg forGodzilla vs. Kong, in which Godzilla’s signature stomping move almost killed Kong. As the stomp was so effective the last time viewers saw the kaiju battling each other, it added some unpredictability to the fight’s result. However, using the same move did not make the fight itself predictable, as Godzilla showed mercy inGodzilla vs. Kong, while it took Mothra’s intervention to prevent Godzilla from fully charging inGodzilla x Kong.
4Save The Earth
Godzilla’s Pizza Mural Tag Gives Viewers Three Easter Eggs In One
The pizza mural inGodzilla x Kongis full ofGodzillaEaster eggs, and at the bottom right is a note saying “SAVE THE EARTH,” with a drawing of two eyes. This gives the audience three Easter eggs within one, asSave The Earthis the title of the 2004Godzillavideo game.
This is also the title of theGodzillamovieGodzilla vs Hedorah, and this movie gives viewers the third Easter egg. Hedorah is aGodzillavillain, who is the embodiment of smog and pollution, and it looks like a black mass of oil and smog with two huge eyes set far apart.
$135 million
$571 million
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Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
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This resembles the Godzilla mural in Rome, and could potentially hint at the themes for futureGodzillamovies.Hedorah has not yet appeared in any WesternGodzillamoviesbut presents such a serious threat to humanity that it could only be a matter of time before it appears in theMonsterverse.
3Kiss Of Death
Godzilla Repeats Another Of His Fighting Moves
Godzilla has an enormous number of powers and fighting moves to choose from, and the best of them use either his size and strength or Godzilla’s signature atomic breath.The “kiss of death” move first appeared in the 2014Godzillamovie, and showed Godzilla prying apart the jaws of the female MUTO and blasting his blue atomic breath into her mouth.
It is one of Godzilla’s most memorable kills and appears as an Easter egg inGodzilla x Kong.
It is one of Godzilla’s most memorable kills and appears as an Easter egg inGodzilla x Kong. The beginning ofGodzilla x Kongshows Godzilla keeping order in the world by fighting and defeating giant monsters (a.k.a. Titans) on the surface of the Earth.
One of these is Scylla, who looks like a cross between a spider and a sea monster and feeds on radiation. Godzilla kills Scylla in Rome’s Colosseum by employing his kiss of death move, which was so popular among fans thatthe signature move’s name has become canon inGodzillalore.
2Mysterious Bones
This Skeleton Turned Up In Mothra Vs Godzilla
Theskeleturtle has been extremely popular withGodzillafansever since it appeared in the 1964 movieMothra vs Godzilla. It is one of the many unfortunate dead and dying creatures that are found on Infant Island and are collectively known as “the mysterious bones.”
However, while none of the characters appear to notice or interact with the skeleturtle, its distinctive appearance has made it memorable. It is not known whether the skeleturtle is dead, or just an unusual-looking creature, as while many of the bones appear to move in the wind inMothra vs Godzilla, the skeleturtle is shown as a living creature in theGodzilla: Rulers of Earthcomic.
Godzilla’s mural shows a sketch of the skeleturtlewhich is easy to miss as it sits underneath an even more mysterious drawing that resembles a kaiju fromPacific Rim, which is not aGodzillamovie.
1A Confirmed Godzilla Tribute
Godzilla’s Stomp Is A Confirmed Minus One Reference
While most of the Easter eggs inGodzilla x Kongare clear tributes, not all of them have been mentioned by the filmmakers. Still, one of the Easter eggs was a deliberate reference that has been confirmed by Adam Winguard, the director ofGodzilla x Kong.
The Godzilla mural that is so full of Easter eggs is quickly turned to rubble when Godzilla stomps on it, but Winguard felt that he could make the scene better. The solution came when he saw the trailer for a differentGodzillamovie.
7 Godzilla x Kong Twists The Monsterverse Already Set Up
Some details were more important than they seemed, as several major twists from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire were built on existing developments.
Winguard toldGizmodo,“we basically paid homage to Godzilla Minus One right out the gate,” after he saw theGodzilla Minus Onetrailer. He loved the way the visual effects artists had shown the close-up of Godzilla’s foot and the impact of his stomp pushing the ground up in front of him, so recreated his own version of the shot inGodzilla x Kongas a direct tribute when Godzilla stomps on his own mural.
Godzilla
The Godzilla franchise, spanning over six decades, follows the adventures of the titular kaiju, a colossal, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. Originating in Japan, Godzilla has evolved from a destructive force of nature to a protector of humanity, battling various other giant monsters, including iconic foes like King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla. The series explores themes of environmental destruction, nuclear anxiety, and human resilience. With numerous films, TV series, and an expanding universe, Godzilla remains a cultural icon, captivating audiences worldwide with its epic battles and compelling narratives.
