The Godzilla vs. Kong novelization changed the meaning of the scene where Gojira became the alpha of the Titans in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. After taking down Ghidorah in the final battle at Boston, Godzilla found himself surrounded by five MonsterVerse Titans who bowed down to him in deference.
Rodan, who had previously lost to Ghidorah before becoming one of his minions, was the first to Titan accept Godzilla as the alpha. Behemoth, Scylla, Methuselah, and the third M.U.T.O. all wasted no time in following suit. Though it was never shown, many have assumed that the other 11 Titans woken up during the movie recognized Godzilla as Ghidorah’s successor off-screen. According to the newspaper articles in the King of the Monsters credits, Godzilla’s new position enabled him to keep his new Titan minions in check. In the immediate aftermath of Ghidorah’s loss and Godzilla’s rise, the Titans largely stayed out of trouble, with some returning to hibernation and others making an effort to avoid conflict with humans.
The Godzilla vs. Kong novelization has confirmed that this period didn’t last for very long. Within two years, some of the Titans were already causing havoc again. As a result, Godzilla had to squash rebellions from three Titans: Scylla, Amhuluk, and Tiamat. As noted above, Scylla in particular saw what Godzilla did to Ghidorah and was one of the Titans who bowed down to him during King of the Monsters’ ending. Thought that was a symbolic gesture meant to demonstrate loyalty, it would seem that it was all a lie for some of the Titans. Looking at how the Titans behaved afterward, Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) developed the interpretation that the Titans had “their fingers crossed behind their backs when they were bowing.”
In other words, the Titans did what they needed to do to survive in that moment. They had no intention of actually doing Godzilla’s bidding or treating him like the alpha. They may have been fearful at the time, but there were some that managed to work up the confidence to face off with him later. This attitude is apparently the very reason why the Titans weren’t around in Godzilla vs. Kong. After spending a considerable amount of time patrolling the planet and fighting the Titans who disobeyed him, Godzilla grew tired of it all and called them back into hibernation. Perhaps because of a self-preservation instinct, they heeded his order this time.
It’s worth wondering what will happen if and when the Titans emerge again after Godzilla vs. Kong. Will they be loyal this time around, or will he have to put them in their places again? Either way, it’s likely that Godzilla will try to keep most (if not all) of them in hibernation. But, it could be that he’ll need a few of them on his side in the future, especially if he ever has to go up against multiple MonsterVerse villains. The problem is that he may not be able to turn his back on any of his Titan lackeys.