Monarch: Legacy of Monsters just got a hopeful Season 2 update.
The upcoming Apple TV+ streaming series takes place before the original 2014 Godzilla film, which started Legendary’s MonsterVerse in the first place.
The cinematic universe expanded when King Kong got a solo outing, which led to the large primate duking it out with Godzilla himself. But now, Monarch is taking a few steps back and zeroing in on a story that takes place years before even King of Monsters went down.
More specifically, the story will take place both in 2014 and the 1950s—a multi-generational tale about Monsters hidden around the world. This begs the question of how long the show’s story will last.
Monarch Gets a Hopeful Season 2 Update
Across several exclusive interviews, The Direct’s Russ Milheim spoke with multiple key members of the creative team of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters about whether the series could get a proper Season 2.
Executive Producer Matt Fraction offered a hopeful update, noting he believes “[they] could keep going for as long as people want to keep watching:”
“Well, it wasn't designed as a limited series. We certainly love the characters and playing in the world. And if we are so lucky and so fortunate, I think we could keep going for as long as people want to keep watching, quite honestly. Yeah.”
When asked if a Season 2 was in the cards, Monarch showrunner Chris Black admitted “it’s kind of really up to the viewers:”
“I mean, it's kind of really up to the viewers and the fans. We hope that they respond to the story that, what we're telling, [and] that they'll want to see more.”
Black went on to explain how they needed a story that would “go on for 10 hours” and “hopefully [more]:”
“We had to sort of build this from the ground up as a TV series, as something that was going to go for 10 hours and hopefully, if we're lucky, two seasons, three seasons--whatever we're lucky enough to get.”
Director Matt Shakman, who helmed the first two episodes, maintained that the team “poured [their] heart and soul into this [first] season:”
“We poured our heart and soul into this season. We love it. We're so proud of it. We hope people love it. If I could knock on some wood, I would hate to talk about future seasons until people have a chance to watch this one. And hopefully, they love it.”
Tory Tunnell, another executive producer on the series, reiterated the same sentiments, noting how if people show up “in droves,” then it’s very possible more seasons could follow:
“We love the story that we told this season. And we hope that people will show up. And you know, if they do in droves, and then hopefully, it'll give us an opportunity to tell more.”
What Could Happen in a Season 2?
Even though Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is technically limited by the events that happen in future movies, there is actually a surprising amount of space for interesting exploration.
Godzilla: King of Monsters doesn’t actually happen until five years after the 2014 movie. This gives Monarch half a decade to play around with before that movie goes down—not to mention the decades before, given how the show jumps around.
What future seasons of the series should explore is how all of the famous Titans in King of Monsters came to be discovered by Monarch. This would give the likes of Mothra, Ghidorah, Rodan, and more, additional time to shine.
As the story progresses, it’ll likely be harder to keep incorporating Godzilla himself, as he’s often mostly involved in the movie-level events—though the show has successfully squeezed him in this first season. Then there’s Kong, who is much harder to find a reason to include, as he’s stationed on Skull Island.
Needless to say, the show can keep fans entertained for years to come, and not at the cost of MonsterVerse’s movie events.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters hits Apple TV+ on November 17, while Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire hits theaters on April 12, 2024.
