What’s next for the Legendary’s Monsterverse? Apple TV+ brings the next chapter of this popular property to life with “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.” The series picks up after the events that saw Godzilla and the Titans destroy San Francisco; now, there are major questions about the organization behind it all — Monarch (and it’s a fascinating choice to set it after the events of the first film and not deeper into the canon). Before ‘Legacy,’ the franchise had big screen outings with 2014’s “Godzilla,” 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island,” 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” and 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
The upcoming series spans decades and centers around the same character played in two time periods: Wyatt Russell stars as young Lee Shaw in the 1960s and Kurt Russell as the older Shaw in the present day. This central figure has carried secrets for decades, some of which could destroy the entire Monarch organization. Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski round out the cast. Matt Shakman, director of “WandaVision” and the upcoming “Fantastic Four,” directed the first two episodes and is an executive producer on the show.
Here’s the series’ official synopsis:
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.
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Decades of secrets are revealed when “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” premieres globally on Apple TV+. The first two episodes debut on November 17, with new episodes premiering weekly until January 12, 2024. Get your first look at the series’ trailer below, unveiled at New York Comic Con.