Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be released next year. As well as the title character, the movie will be introducing some new characters to the MonsterVerse. Ghidorah, Rodan and Mothra are the new additions, Mothra is a giant moth-like Kaiju that has previously been accompanied by two fairies whom it communicates through. Some fans suspect that Millie Bobby Brown and Vera Farmiga’s characters are to take on a version of that role.
In the first story to feature the Kaiju, Mothra is a worshipped Goddess on an island. Then outsiders come to the island to kidnap the fairies and Mothra hatches from her egg and chases after them. She eventually transforms into her adult form and rescues them. This story was originally featured in a book named The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta, which was adapted into the film, Mothra in 1961.
If this is the larval Mothra I’m looking at, I like it. (Blink and you miss a bunch of little crawly legs in that shot.) #GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters pic.twitter.com/1mBraInVuY
— Son of Karas (ラの息子) (@QuandaryMan) July 21, 2018
Mothra acts as a peaceful protector, and doesn’t act without provocation. In all of the previous incarnations of the monster, she is only able to communicate with humans via her fairies, also known as the Shobijin. This ability to communicate enables her to take on the role of protector. The Shobijin translate between the humans and Mothra, which allows the humans to understand that the monster does not intent to cause any harm or destruction.
It’s been reported that although it is unlikely for a pair of little fairies to be included in the movie due to Legendary aiming for a more realistic interpretation of the story, two characters cast may act as the enablers of communication between Mothra and the humans, just as the Shobijin did. Millie Bobby Brown plays a character named Madison Russel who is the daughter of Dr. Emma Russell, played by Vera Farmiga. Dr Russell is a scientist working for Monarch, but she gets kidnapped with her daughter by a mysterious organisation.
During the first trailer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters it looks as though Madison and her mother are at the base where the frozen Ghidorah and Mothra are being held, which we can assume is the base of the organisation that abducts them. During one seen it looks as though Madison reaches a hand out to touch Mothra in her larva form, resting her hand on its head. Of course this could just be a kind gesture towards the monster, or it could be a evidence of a connection between them.
This Mothra reveal coupled with Clair de Lune gave me shivers. Such a good trailer. #GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters pic.twitter.com/rzXPXXaJA2
— Tom [Servo] Jones (@TomServoJones) July 21, 2018
This in itself isn’t enough evidence to claim that the two characters are acting as the Shobijin, but the subject matter of Dr. Emma Russell’s research does make it seem a little more likely. When Vera Farmiga discussed her characters research she said that she is a paleobiologist who has discovered a way to communicate with the monsters using “bioacoustics on a sonar level.” This means she is the character most likely to be able to ‘speak’ with Mothra.
It is unclear why Madison would share the connection with Mothra as well as her mother, but she may too be involved in her mothers research.
The Shobijin have typically been depicted as identical twins in the past. However, the fairies being played by a mother and daughter may enhance the connection between the pair and the Kaiju, and Mothra has often been depicted as a mother herself. If it is to be believed that Mothra has larva offspring in this incarnation, it will provide a nice link between the monster and the mother-daughter duo.
It certainly is an interesting, and quite plausible theory. We don’t have a great deal of information on the plot but the official synopsis reads:
The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological 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 super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be released on March 22, 2019.
What do you think of this theory? Let us know in the comments!