‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Director Teases Larger Titans Mythology

Monster movies have evolved in some interesting ways over the history of cinema, with increasingly-complex stories tapping into society’s relationship with its deepest darkest fears. With the release of this year’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, those decades of mythology will be alluded to in a particularly interesting way.

ComicBook.com got a chance to speak to King of the Monsters director Mike Dougherty during a recent set visit, where he spoke about the surprisingly-long history that the Titans have had within the film’s world. As Dougherty put it, the monsters have been existing well before humans, which will add another layer to their very public resurfacing in the film.

“It’s not like the monsters are suddenly popping up out of nowhere, they’ve always been here, they were here before we were.” Dougherty explained. “So, the concept we’re running with is that this will belong to them. You know, if anything, [we’re] a really invasive species, and we’ve simply rediscovered something that’s always been underneath our feet, literally. That, they are in some way, the old gods, the first gods. And that’s something that we’re also trying to bring to this film, a mythological, almost biblical, backdrop to these creatures.”

This concept of just how long the monsters have been existing within the Godzilla universe will be played with in some unique contexts, especially as the film helps set up 2020’s Godzilla vs. Kong. Even though the Titans have been around for such a long period of time, it sounds like the very public way that Godzilla appeared in the original 2014 film will really kick things into gear.

“Once again, speaking as a Godzilla fan, I always hated those humans who acted like, didn’t Godzilla just save your ass but with the realm that we’re in now, what happened in San Francisco in 2014, we’re still learning about Godzilla and exactly what he is,” star O’Shea Jackson Jr. said during the same set visit. “You know, if more gets unraveled, the further that this story goes and I’m glad people get a further understanding of what Godzilla represents. And from what I can see, he holds down the Pacific, so California seems safe. So I’m with that.”

Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ken Watanabe, Bradley Whitford, and Thomas Middleditch.

The synopsis for Godzilla: King of the Monsters reads as such, “The new story follows the heroic efforts of the cryptozoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.”

Are you looking forward to Godzilla: King of Monsters? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Godzilla: King of Monsters is set to hit theaters on May 31st.