Godzilla 2 Theory: Millie Bobby Brown Is One Of Mothra's Fairies

Godzilla: King of the Monsters introduces new monsters to Warner Bros. and Legendary's MonsterVerse. Among them is Mothra, a giant moth-like kaiju often accompanied by two small fairies - roles that Millie Bobby Brown and Vera Farmiga's characters may take the place of in this Godzilla sequel.

Mothra is unique among the kaiju typically featured in the Godzilla franchise. Unlike Rodan or King Ghidorah, Mothra first debuted in the serialized novel, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta. Toho later commissioned the novel to be adapted into a film, which became 1961's Mothra. Both the book and the film share the same general story of an island where Mothra is worshipped as a goddess, and when outsiders arrive and kidnap the fairies (in the novel, there are several while in the films only two) Mothra hatches from her egg and chases after her fairies, before eventually transforming into the adult, winged form of Mothra and rescuing them.

Unless angered, Mothra is typically a benevolent and peaceful monster, acting as a protector and often doing battle with other monsters to thwart their needless destruction. A key reason Mothra can play this role of benevolent protector is her ability to communicate with humans via her fairies. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Madison Russell (Brown) and her mother, Dr. Emma Russell (Farmiga) may not be literal fairies, but they may very well play a role similar to Mothra's fairies and act as the link between Mothra and humanity.

Mothra's Fairies Explained

Throughout many of Mothra's film appearances, her fairies - the Shobijin or small beauties - are there to act as intermediaries between Mothra and humanity, relaying their wishes to the Goddess of Monsters and translating back the kaiju's response. It's through these fairies that humans can know Mothra's intentions and understand that, unlike Godzilla or the other giant monsters, Mothra doesn't wish to harm humans. The Shobijin are also telepathic, and have at times demonstrated telekinetic and teleportation abilities as well. Through their singing, the fairies can summon Mothra, even across great distances.

Originally, the only explanation given for the existence of the Shobijin was that they simply came from Infant Island, where Mothra resides. There are other people native to the island who worship Mothra, but they're depicted as normal-sized humans, not tiny women. Later versions of Mothra's origin would explain the Shobijin - or Cosmos or Elias, they go by many names - as the last survivors of an ancient and advanced race who predated humanity. Still, in every incarnation, Mothra's fairies serve above all as a means of communication between Mothra and humans.

Which brings us to Godzilla: King of the Monsters and its version of Mothra. While it would be highly unlikely for a MonsterVerse film to include a pair of singing fairy twins (Legendary are aiming for a more grounded and somewhat realistic interpretation of Godzilla) there may still be a need for a character or characters to act as that line of communication between humans and the mighty Mothra.

Millie Bobby Brown Has A Connection To Mothra

Godzilla King of the Monsters Millie Bobby Brown Madison Mothra Larva

There isn't much we know about Millie Bobby Brown's Godzilla 2 character, Madison Russell. Her parents are Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) and Dr. Emma Russell, the latter of whom is a scientist working for Monarch. Madison and her mother are at one point kidnapped by another "mysterious organization" with plans for the various Titans, while Mark joins Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins) on the rescue mission.

Other than those few details all we can glean about Brown's character comes from the film's first trailer. In it, Madison is inside an Arctic base alongside her mother, Emma. This is presumably the base of the organization that kidnaps them, and it also appears to be where the frozen Ghidorah and Mothra are held. During those shots, one scene appears to show Madison reaching out and touching the larva form of Mothra, resting her hand on its head in a gesture of comfort. While it's hard to know for sure, this moment could be the initial meeting between Madison and Mothra, suggesting that from the get-go there exists a connection between the two.

The moment may simply be a gesture of empathy and nothing more, but even so, it implies a link between Madison and Mothra which doesn't seem to be shared with any of the other characters. This in itself isn't enough proof for Brown's character being the MonsterVerse's version of the Shobijin, but upon learning the focus of her mother's research, the similarities with Mothra's fairies become all the more obvious.

Is Vera Farmiga The Other Fairy?

Traditionally, Mothra's fairies are portrayed as two identical twin women, though later versions of the Shobijin were less concerned with the actresses appearing identical or acting in unison. Were the MonsterVerse to adapt this idea for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the fairies would surely be an even further departure from that original concept. And with Millie Bobby Brown's Madison already cultivating a relationship with Mothra, the other character most likely to form some bond with the moth kaiju is her mother, Vera Farmiga's Dr. Emma Russell.

Thanks to Farmiga discussing her character's research, we know a bit more about Emma's role in the film. She's a paleobiologist who has discovered a means of communicating with the Titans through the use of "bioacoustics on a sonar level," making her the one character most likely to successfully "speak" with Mothra. Farmiga even referred to her character as a "DJ for the monsters," drawing an even stronger connection between her research and the songs the Shobijin would sing to summon Mothra. As to why Madison appears to also be developing some connection with Mothra, it's possible Madison also plays a part in her mother's research, sharing in the responsibility once she learns what's really at stake.

Having Emma and Madison act as the MonsterVerse's spin on Mothra's fairies is an interesting idea to begin with, but in having the Shobijin role portrayed by a mother and child as opposed to twins, the connection to Mothra becomes even more poignant. Mothra herself is often depicted as mother, and as an adult reaches the end of its life, a new generation hatches to take its place. In some cases, this results in two Mothra larva hatching from a single egg, and if an earlier piece of Godzilla 2 promotional art (below) is to be believed, Mothra may have two larva offspring in this film as well. The trailer already confirms Mothra will appear in both forms, so it's possible that the two forms are actually two generations rather than a single Mothra completing her transformation. If that's the case, and Godzilla 2 includes an adult Mothra and her children, then having Emma and Madison acting as Mothra's liaisons with humanity is a neat bit of symmetry, reinforcing the idea of Mothra as a sort of Mother Goddess.

What Role Mothra's Fairies Could Play In The Plot

The Shobijin have been an integral part of Mothra's mythos since her inception, and to adapt her without some way incorporating the tiny fairies would be a disservice. But since it would be a real stretch to believe the movie includes two tiny women singing in tandem, the next best option is for there to be some other two characters who can speak on Mothra's behalf to all of humanity. Madison and Emma Russell are the most likely candidates. Already, Madison has demonstrated the empathy necessary to forge a bond with such a monster, and Emma's research has the potential to tap into that same power the Shobijin's songs were said to possess.

While it's unlikely Madison and Emma's roles in Godzilla 2 will exactly mirror that of Mothra's fairies, they appear destined to act as the link between the more benevolent of the Titan and the humans in need of her protection. Emma's research into communicating with the Titans through bioacoustics is surely the key in not only awakening the Titans, and in the trailer, Emma appears to already be speaking for the Titans, referring to them as the planet's only hope to restore its ecosystem. Over time, Madison may come to feel the same way - possibly even after meeting Mothra and/or her offspring for the first time - and mother and daughter will both become Mothra's heralds, as it were, spreading the message that Mothra is here to save humanity from the other, more dangerous monsters.