connection to Hollow Earth energy source.

In disproving the three-year-old SpaceGodzilla theory, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire raised a new question about Godzilla’s origin. Ever since Godzilla vs. Kong, there have been deeply held theories that the Monsterverse is building toward a colossal showdown in which Godzilla and Kong face off against SpaceGodzilla, a onetime villain from the 1990s Godzilla movies. Supposedly, this version of the monster exists in the same mold as Ghidorah and the Monsterverse’s Skar King, meaning he too is believed to be an ancient enemy of Godzilla.

As his name implies, SpaceGodzilla is a cosmic incarnation of the King of the Monsters. Introduced in Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla as a creature born from Godzilla’s DNA being mutated by a black hole, SpaceGodzilla has a reputation as one of Godzilla’s strongest villains. His power level and menacing design gave credence to the theories that Godzilla vs. Kong secretly set him up for a future movie, but that scenario no longer looks likely – though a SpaceGodzilla appearance has not necessarily been ruled out.

The Iwi Myths In Godzilla x Kong Finally Debunked The SpaceGodzilla Theory

Godzilla x Kong Confirmed Godzilla vs. Kong’s Novelization Didn’t Tease SpaceGodzilla

Although Godzillavs. Kong itself never included any reference that could be interpreted as a SpaceGodzilla reference, the movie’s novelization did have a few curious lines that justified these suspicions. The book detailed an ancient Iwi prophecy that made mention of Zo-zla-halawa, a monster that “ate a star” and battled Kong’s species in the Monsterverse’s Hollow Earth world. The obvious implication of this discussion was that Zo-zla-halawa and Godzilla are one and the same, but descriptions of him in the novel left room for speculation about his identity. Zo-zla-halawa was characterized as a monster with evil intentions, thus leading to the belief that Zo-zla-halawa was actually SpaceGodzilla.

His origin being connected to “a star” went hand-in-hand with that idea, as did some unused concept from Godzilla vs. Kong. Featured in Godzilla vs. Kong – One Will Fall: The Art of the Ultimate Battle Royale, a cave mural depicted a winged Godzilla flying above armies of Great Apes and other members of Godzilla’s species. This created the impression that this alternate version of Godzilla – possibly SpaceGodzilla – may have been the true villain of the ancient Titan War. But after Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s explanation of the Iwi myths, that doesn’t appear to be the case after all. Instead, it can be accepted now that Zo-zla-halawa and Godzilla really are the same monster.

Unlike Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla x Kong does name-drop Zo-zla-halawa and provide a full overview of the Iwi myths, which includes him eating “a star.” Interestingly, Godzilla x Kong clears up questions about Zo-zla-halawa’s identity by addressing him as Godzilla and diving into Zo-zla-halawa’s conflict with Skar King. Clearly, it’s not SpaceGodzilla who sealed Skar King away, given that the former is strictly a villain. The murals in the temple also offer illustrations of a monster that is most certainly Godzilla, not his cosmic counterpart from Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.

Additionally, what happens in Godzilla x Kong can also be used to undermine the other biggest evidence for the SpaceGodzilla theory, which is the aforementioned concept art. There were two different ways to look at that painting, one being that the creature was a winged Godzilla-like monster. The other was that Mothra was carrying Godzilla. In retrospect, the latter interpretation makes a lot more sense. After Godzilla x Kong’s ending, it’s apparent that Mothra did indeed exist along Godzilla and Kong in the Hollow Earth and was indeed a key player in their shared history.

What Was “The Star” That Godzilla Consumed?

Somehow, Godzilla Obtained The Hollow Earth’s Power

When SpaceGodzilla was suspected to be Zo-zla-halawa, the meaning of the novelization’s line about the monster eating a star fit in with the character’s cosmic origins, but now that the theory has been debunked, it’s meaning has become much more mysterious. Apparently, it was Godzilla himself who consumed this “star.” Whatever it was remains unclear, but it appears that it has some connection to Godzilla’s secret past. The full details of Godzilla’s backstory remain unexplored, but the mention of a “star” seems to serve as a key clue.

It’s highly possible that it relates to his acquisition of his blue atomic power. Godzilla vs. Kong implied that it’s not a natural ability for his species when it revealed that the Hollow Earth energy source and Godzilla’s power are the same. That serves as an indication that at some point in the Monsterverse timeline, Godzilla permanently harnessed the Hollow Earth energy source. The “star” mentioned by both Godzilla vs. Kong’s novelization and Godzilla x Kong could have been the means in which he accomplished this. Whatever it was, there’s a good chance the translation isn’t literal, and that it was some other object that the Iwi have mistaken for a star.

How SpaceGodzilla Can Still Join The Monsterverse

Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters Has An Alternate Way To Introduce SpaceGodzilla

While SpaceGodzilla not being the focus of the Iwi myths may come as a disappointment, none of this is to say that SpaceGodzilla won’t be joining the Monsterverse. A way for him to appear does indeed exist, but wasn’t provided by Godzilla vs. Kong. If the Monsterverse wants to bring in SpaceGodzilla, the easiest way to do so is to build on setup from Apple TV+’s Godzilla show, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. In season 1, it was stated that the energy from the Hollow Earth rifts is found only in pulsars, “supermassive black holes from outer space.”

The show likening the Hollow Earth’s energy to black holes creates a suitable pathway for SpaceGodzilla to be introduced. After all, the energy of a black hole is how the original version was created in the first place. Because of this reveal, the Monsterverse can have its own SpaceGodzilla in a way that perfectly accommodates its pre-existing lore. The Hollow Earth is at the center of Godzilla and Kong’s universe, so using it to introduce SpaceGodzilla would be a more organic way of doing it than shooting Godzilla’s DNA into outer space like Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla did.

As for how this could work, it’s possible that in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s sequel, it could be revealed that a member of Godzilla’s species had an incident when traveling between the Hollow Earth’s realms that resulted in his DNA being mutated by the energy within its rifts. If that happened, SpaceGodzilla could be lurking somewhere in the Monsterverse, quietly gearing up for a clash with his heroic counterpart.