Surprisingly, several of the biggest developments from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire were set in motion long before the film's release. The fifth big-screen installment in Legendary's Monsterverse greatly expanded Godzilla and Kong's world, introducing a brand-new corner of its universe: the Subterranean Realm. In doing so, Godzilla x Kong reignited an ancient conflict and brought in a powerful threat in the form of the Monsterverse's Skar King.

The Skar King was a new addition to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire's ending, it's apparent that all sorts of reveals from earlier on in the Monsterverse were much more important than they seemed. As it turns out, many were crucial to Godzilla and Kong's team-up movie.

Normally, it would stand to reason that Monsterverse stories told outside the films won't actually matter in the grand scheme of things. However, that was hardly the case, as Godzilla x Kong pulled heavily from multiple sources, not just the movies that preceded it. Fights from the Monsterverse tie-in comics, for instance, ended up shaping parts of Godzilla x Kong's story, with Godzilla having surprise rematches with two monsters he fought on the page rather than on the screen.

7 Scylla's Rebellion Against Godzilla

Godzilla's first scene in The New Empire featured an unexpected battle between him and Scylla, one of the original Titans from Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Going off what happened in King of the Monsters alone, it may have been surprising to see Godzilla clash with one of the Titans who accepted him as the alpha several years prior. But in the context of Godzilla: Dominion, this turn of events makes a great deal of sense. In the Godzilla vs. Kong graphic novel prequel, Godzilla had a brief fight with Scylla in Georgia.

Godzilla: Dominion presented her as a rebellious, somewhat out-of-control monster. Godzilla reined in the Titans and stopped them from going on land when he beat Ghidorah, but as explained by Dominion, there were some - like Scylla - who didn't stay in line. Godzilla had to remind Scylla that he was the alpha in Dominion, with this moment serving as early evidence of Scylla's willingness to defy him. Because of this, it's easier to see why Godzilla was so quick to kill her in The New Empire. It's likely that he had come to understand that she couldn't be controlled.

6 Shimo's Debut

Shimo's Design Was Teased Before Godzilla x Kong

Arguably the biggest hint toward Shimo's existence in the Monsterverse came from an unorthodox source - a video game. In 2022, Call of Duty: Warzone launched a promotional Monsterverse crossover event that featured both Godzilla and Kong. It also showcased some ancient cave paintings depicting some of the Titans. Curiously, one was of an unidentified monster unconnected to any existing Monsterverse designs. Now, though, it's clear that Call of Duty's mystery monster was Shimo all along.

There being some form of recorded history for Shimo via paintings feels fitting, given what's known about her now. At Skar King's behest, Shimo went to war with Godzilla and started the last Ice Age. It's no wonder she left an impression on the Monsterverse's ancient humans, prompting them to memorialize her in their cave murals.

5 Shimo Started The Ice Age

King Of The Monsters Confirmed Titans Could Cause Ice Ages

It's true that Shimo herself was never referenced in the Monsterverse's movies, but one in particular did tease an event she was involved with. The redacted text in Godzilla: King of the Monsters' credits confirmed that a Titan-related incident was responsible for the Ice Age, but didn't provide specifics on which monster caused it. All that was established was that humans caused a "cataclysm," thus triggering the Ice Age.

The prospect of a Titan being the root cause of the Ice Age was a massive reveal, and one that ultimately carried over to Godzilla x Kong. It also works well with the wider lore of the Monsterverse. What Ghidorah tried to do in King of the Monsters was proof of how destructive Titans can be to the environment. With their powers, they can reshape the entire climate of the Earth. Just as Ghidorah nearly covered the planet in a storm by terraforming it, Shimo used her Frostbite Blast, likely the strongest power in the Monsterverse, to consume the surface with ice and snow.

4 Titans Can Be Controlled

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Teased Titan Mind Control

Another aspect of Godzilla x Kong's story that can be traced back to King of the Monsters is its implementation of mind control. In Godzilla x Kong, Skar King used a mysterious blue crystal to cause unbearable pain to Shimo, essentially binding her to his will. This made Shimo a slave to the Skar King for thousands of years. Shimo being a "good" monster forced to fight on the behalf of a villain ties in to some lines from the redacted text, which allude to mind control.

According to the story provided by the credits, humans tried to make slaves of the Titans. Exactly how they did it wasn't explained explicitly, but it was said that they developed methods of "telepathic communication," which may or may not be how it worked. This also connects to Godzilla x Kong, as there seemed to be a psychic connection between the Monsterverse's Shimo and Skar KIng that was held together by the crystal. Skar King seemingly sent mental commands through the crystal to Shimo who either obeyed or paid a painful price for not following orders.

3 The Hollow Earth Has Multiple Realms

Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters Established A Key Hollow Earth Concept

Most of the setup for Godzilla x Kong stems from King of the Monsters, but at least one piece of the lore originated from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Apple TV+'s show dove back down into the Monsterverse's Hollow Earth world, but the place it visited was unique to what was seen in the film. What it featured was a place called Axis Mundi, a section of the underground world between the surface and Kong's new home. It was referred to as a "realm" in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

Thanks to Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters, it was understood that the Hollow Earth is divided up into several realms, with Axis Mundi being one and the place in Godzilla vs. Kong being another. In other words, not all of it looks like the world explored in the film, with regions of the Hollow Earth boasting their own ecosystems and geography. Godzilla x Kong built on this idea when it introduced the Subterranean Realm, a corner of the Hollow Earth world found deeper than Godzilla vs. Kong's.

2 Kong's BEAST Glove

Mechagodzilla's Parts Were Used To Design Kong's New Weapon

Despite all the senseless destruction he wrought in Godzilla vs. Kong's ending, Mechagodzilla wound up making a positive impact in the sequel. In The New Empire novelization, the Monsterverse confirmed that Monarch confiscated APEX's Mechagodzilla parts after Kong destroyed him in Hong Kong. As revealed by the book, studying that technology is what yielded Monarch's construction of the BEAST Glove. The Beast Glove is the weaponized tech gauntlet that Monarch equips Kong with in the film, giving him access to his electrical powers from King Kong vs. Godzilla.

The BEAST Glove became instrumental to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire's action. Due to the damage done to his arm by Shimo, he wouldn't been able to be of much help against Skar King, much less survive the fight with Godzilla in Egypt. With it, Kong had a suitable replacement for the Godzilla-powered axe, and now that he carries both weapons, Kong may be at the peak of his power in the Monsterverse - and it's all thanks to APEX creating Mechagodzilla.

1 Godzilla's Evolved Form

Tiamat Was Introduced Before Godzilla x Kong

Similar to the situation with Kong and the BEAST Glove, Godzilla's upgrade from Godzilla x Kong was also set up ahead of the movie. The Monarch monitor screens in King of the Monsters unveiled the names and locations of several monsters, 11 of which being Titans who didn't actually appear in the movie. Dominion acted on this reveal, showing off two of the unseen monsters, Amhuluk and Tiamat. Both battled Godzilla, with Tiamat - introduced as a sea serpent - providing the more difficult challenge of the two.

At the time, there was no indication that Dominion's official introduction of Tiamat would ever be relevant to the movies themselves, but Godzilla x Kong proved otherwise. Tweaking the design Dominion gave her, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire brought Tiamat into live-action, allowing her power source to become the catalyst for Godzilla's Evolved form and new pink aesthetic. Tiamat's design sported the same pink color, which further demonstrates that Godzilla stole her energy.