Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse franchise has mainly been depicted on film, with very few TV shows – such as Netflix’s animated series Skull Island, which made its debut last year – or other tie-in media. Now, another show set in the same universe is gearing up for release later this year, only this time it will not be streaming on Netflix.
Apple TV+ has unveiled the official title of the upcoming MonsterVerse series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, along with BTS images of the cast. This sci-fi series, spanning 10 episodes, is set to showcase Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell, real-life father and son, portraying the character Lee Shaw at different ages across five decades.
Here is a full synopsis of the show:
Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch.
Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.
The rest of the cast comprises Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski. American comic book writer Matt Fraction (known for his work on Hawkeye) and Severance producer Chris Black will double as the showrunners and executive producers.
Given that Warner Bros. Pictures holds the rights to the MonsterVerse franchise, it’s surprising that the upcoming spin-off series won’t find its home on the studio’s streaming platform, HBO Max and will instead bring business to a rival.
However, considering the impending release of the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong, titled Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is set to hit theaters next year, it’s plausible that Warner Bros. already has too many Godzilla projects on its plate – if that’s even a thing.
For those curious about the surge of Godzilla-related content being released within such a short period of time, all credit goes to Toho, the custodian of the Godzilla IP. The Japanese powerhouse seems to be pulling out all the stops to commemorate the franchise’s upcoming 70th anniversary.
Later this year, on November 3 (which is commonly known as Godzilla Day), Toho will release the highly anticipated live-action film, Godzilla Minus One.
While Monarch: Legacy of Monsters was initially set to release later this year, Apple TV+ has not provided any indications on whether it intends to adjust this scheduled timeframe in light of the ongoing Hollywood strikes.
