Titan X could very well be the closest the Monsterverse will ever come to a live-action Biollante. Introduced in the season 2 premiere of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Titan X is a powerful sea monster that crossed over from the underground realm known as Axis Mundi to Skull Island. Apparently, he’ll replace the now-defeated Ion Dragon as the main antagonist of the Apple TV series.
It’s still early in the story, so not much has been established about this mysterious Titan, although it’s apparent that this Kraken-like creature has been worshiped as a god by the people on the surface. And, it appears to have some level of control over much smaller creatures that the Monsterverse has dubbed as “Scarabs.”
All things considered, Titan X is well on its way to becoming a unique and interesting addition to the Monsterverse’s Titan lineup. But at the same time, aspects of the creature have drawn strong – and well-earned – comparisons to one of Godzilla’s most formidable foes in Toho’s 1990s films.
Titan X Looks A Lot Like Biollante
The season 2 premiere may not have given this impression, but various shots of Titan X in the marketing for the second season have offered a detailed look at the creature, and it bears a striking resemblance to the genetically engineered monster that Godzilla fought in 1989’s Godzilla vs. Biollante.
The aesthetic similarities between them are difficult to ignore, particularly when looking at Titan X’s head. Its elongated snout and long, razor sharp teeth align its design closely with Biollante.
Adding to that is Titan X’s body structure: despite its reptilian head, it has tentacles like a cephalopod. Seeing it in the water with its tentacles conjures images of Biollante floating atop the ocean’s surface, using her vine-like tendrils to attack Godzilla.
Regardless of what Titan X’s backstory is, there’s little chance that it’s in any way similar to Biollante, a genetically enigeered kaiju created by the merging of DNA from three different sources: a dead woman, Godzilla, and a rose. Setup for humans creating organic Titans does exist in the Monsterverse, but as an ancient creature, that origin story wouldn’t fit Titan X.
But in terms of the creature’s appearance, Titan X definitely comes across as a monster heavily inspired by Biollante. That could extend to how its monster fights play out as well. Trailers for the show confirm that Titan X is bigger than Godzilla and Kong, which is consistent with the size difference between Godzilla and Biollante in the 1989 film.
With Titan X’s towering size, gigantic jaws, ability to fight on both land and water, and large tentacles, Titan X is on poised to threaten the two Titans in the same way one would expect of a Monsterverse interpretation of Biollante. And if it turns out that the sea monster has healing capabilities, the gap between the two will be even narrower.
Don’t Expect A Proper Biollante To Appear In The Monsterverse Anytime Soon
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters introducing a Titan that feels like the Monsterverse’s very own Biollante is surprising to some degree, but the move does make sense, especially if Legendary has no plans to use a proper version of the kaiju. As Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty previously indicated, getting the rights to Toho’s monsters can be quite expensive.
Presumably, that’s a big part of why they’ve been used so selectively in the Monsterverse movies. With SpaceGodzilla on track to menace Godzilla and Kong in Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, it’s hard to imagine Biollante debuting here, and it would be years before she gets another chance at a big-screen Monsterverse appearance.
Not only that, but Godzilla Minus One seemingly laid the groundwork for its sequel to introduce Biollante. If there’s any truth to these theories, she would most likely remain exclusive to Toho’s Godzilla franchise, leaving the Monsterverse to explore different corners of the studio’s kaiju library.