Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard would bring back the hollow Earth creature Titanus Doug for future installments in the MonsterVerse.
Adam Wingard, director of Godzilla vs. Kong, wants to bring back a certain hollow Earth creature for a potential sequel. After three films, the fourth installment in Legendary’s MonsterVerse franchise finally saw the two cinematic icons go head to head as humanity hung in the balance. However, this was not the first time the two titans clashed on film, with the first being Toho Studios’ 1962 crossover, King Kong vs. Godzilla. After much anticipation that was only amplified due to COVID delays, Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong debuted to considerable success on March 31, breaking numerous pandemic records.
Set five years after Godzilla defeated King Ghidorah, the film finds the giant lizard mysteriously attacking an Apex Cybernetics facility. As a result, Apex CEO Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir) recruits former Monarch scientist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) to lead a team into Hollow Earth, the Titans’ home-world. As with any film in a massive franchise, fans soon began clamoring for a sequel, and Godzilla vs. Kong’s new location provides the opportunity to introduce a whole new host of monsters in future installments by way of the Hollow Earth.
Now, Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard, who recently participated in a Reddit AMA, says he wants to bring back a popular Hollow Earth creature for a sequel. A user asked the director if a stand-alone "Titanus Doug" film would be a possibility, and Wingard seemed enthused by the idea, confirming that the creature would absolutely make a return if he ever gets the chance to make another MonsterVerse film. Read his full response below:
If I make another Godzilla film you bet your ass TITANUS DOUG is making a return. Hell we created the cgi asset for one shot so if anything we need to get our money's worth still. But seriously Doug has a lot more to give. Lets all keep pushing Legendary to officially name him DOUG btw! He's totally a DOUG!
Hollow Earth’s reptilian monsters are officially unnamed in Legendary’s MonsterVerse since they are never mentioned by name in Godzilla vs. Kong. They are described as “lizard-like creatures” in the film’s novelization, while HBO Max’s audio description refers to them as Foetodon. A companion art book for the film uses the term "Scaly Quadrupeds.” While these creatures are known by many names, they are most popularly referred to as “Doug” or "Titanus Doug," a nickname coined by fans for various memes which is now used by Wingard and even Legendary.
The specifics of Legendary's deal with Toho to use their characters is unclear, but it is widely believed the agreement expired in 2020, which is why future MonsterVerse installments have not been announced. While there is currently no guarantee there will be sequels, Godzilla vs. Kong’s box office gross during the pandemic is surely a positive sign. Hopefully, Titanus Doug will make a glorious return.
Source: Adam Wingard
