Monarch: Legacy of Monsters renewed for season 2 on Apple TV+, other spinoffs also in development
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters became an unprecedented hit in a year full of great monster-based movies when it was released in 2023. Now, the series based around the legendary Kaiju Godzilla has been renewed for a second season, along with some more good news from Apple TV+.
According to the latest report and a statement from Apple TV, not only is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters renewed for a second season, but Apple has also struck a multi-series deal with Legendary Entertainment, which will result in the development of many other spinoffs in the coming years. This may not be limited to Godzilla alone.
It comes in tandem with the resurgence of the genre's popularity over 2023 and the earlier part of this year, which saw the world getting submerged in a surplus amount of Godzilla content, including Takashi Yamazaki’s Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One and Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is still running in theaters.
Apple TV+ ventures into the Monsterverse with a lot of promise
It is safe to say that the Monsterverse is up and running. This has a lot of reasons, which do not only include Takashi Yamazaki’s excellent adaptation that grabbed the attention of international audiences.
Some part of the reason for this franchise's popularity is the superhero fatigue that has set in the world, with many fans detaching themselves from the superhero universes, which are still releasing mass content. People now have a chance to explore other interesting franchises, and Legendary has stepped up right on time for this.
Speaking about Apple's new endeavor with Legendary, Morgan Wandell, head of international development for Apple TV+, said in a statement:
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has left an indelible imprint on the hearts, minds and imaginations of audiences around the world,...We couldn’t be more excited for viewers to not only have the chance to experience even more thrills in season two, but to embark on epic, new journeys in the franchise, as we expand Legendary’s Monsterverse."
The expansion of Monsterverse does hint that there will soon be a series based on King Kong as well. This looks like an interesting prospect for Apple TV+.
What is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters all about?
Created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction, Monrach: Legacy of Monsters is the sixth installment and the second television series in the MonsterVerse franchise.
It is set right after the events of Godzilla (2014). It follows the Monarch organization, which deals with legendary monsters over a long period of time.
The official synopsis for the show reads:
"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 (Sawai, Watabe) 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 (Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows," it continues.
The series stars Wyatt Russell, Kurt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski.
All the previous episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters are available for streaming on Apple TV+.