Here's everything the world knows about Season 2 of Apple TV+'s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
The project marked the first television series set in Legendary's MonsterVerse, the connected cinematic universe that brought fans Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs. Kong, and more.
Monarch's story highlights two different casts of characters: one in 2015, following the aftermath of 2014's Godzilla, and the other in the 1950s, which reveals how the titular monster-focused organization Monarch came to be.
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When Will Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 Release?
As reported by Variety, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters was officially renewed for Season 2 in April 2024, six months after its first episode premiered.
In the same announcement, it was revealed that Apple and Legendary Entertainment would partner to develop multiple spinoff shows set within the MonsterVerse. However, no plot details of these projects were shared.
According to Knight Edge Media, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 will reportedly begin production in Australia later in July.
Comparatively speaking, Season 1 started filming in July 2022 and was released in November 2023. If that timeline remains consistent, Monarch Season 1 could drop sometime in Fall 2025.
Who's Cast in Monarch Season 2?
While no returning characters or actors have been confirmed, here's a list of the actors and characters expected to return for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2:
- Mari Yamamoto - Keiko
- Anna Sawai - Cate Randa
- Kiersey Clemons - May
- Ren Watabe - Kentaro Randa
- Takehiro Hira - Hiroshi Randa
- Dominique Tipper - Brenda Holland
- Joe Tippett - Tim
- Elisa Lasowski - Duvall
- Kurt Russell - Lee Shaw
Mari Yamamoto - Keiko
Mari Yamamoto plays Keiko, who is pulled out of time and reintroduced decades later to a world she doesn't know, with future-generation family members surrounding her. She'll likely become the emotional centerpiece of the series.
Anna Sawai - Cate Randa
Leading actress Anna Sawai plays Cate Randa, whose previous trauma with Godzilla could put her in an interesting position as she meets Kong for the first time.
Kiersey Clemons - May
While Kiersey Clemons' past has been questionable, it's likely to be explored even further in Season 2 as the story shows viewers the world from APEX Cybernetics' perspective.
Ren Watabe - Kentaro Randa
Alongside his biological sister, Ren Watabe's Kentaro Randa will almost certainly return. The odds are that there are still plenty of daddy issues to work out.
Takehiro Hira - Hiroshi Randa
Most of Season 1 focused on finding where Takehira Hira's Hiroshi Randa went. While he was eventually found, Season 2 has plenty of time to dive into his endless list of mysteries.
Dominique Tipper - Brenda Holland
Brenda Holland, played by Dominique Tipper, will undoubtedly be a key character in Season 2 since she leads the APEX operations on Skull Island.
Plus, what exactly was she up to in the time that Cate, May, and Keiko missed?
Joe Tippett - Tim
Joe Tippett's Tim won't need to chase any kids this time. Now he is caught up in whatever operation APEX has on Skull Island, including the big bad Kong, who will be featured in Season 2.
Elisa Lasowski - Duvall
Elisa Lasowski played the stern and straight-to-the-point Monarch agent Duvall, who was an antagonistic force for part of the season. Now, she's more aligned with the group's general interest, so Duvall could become a more notable character in Season 2.
Kurt Russell - Lee Shaw
Kurt Russell's Lee Shaw may have seemingly died at the end of Season 1, but it did happen off-screen, leaving the door open for his return.
BONUS
While it's unlikely that either will show up, Wyatt Russell's Young Lee Shaw and Anders Holm's Young Bill Randa deserve a bonus mention.
The most probable instance of them showing their faces on Monarch again would be in a flashback about Mari Yamamoto's Keiko.
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What Will Happen in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2?
One thing is certain with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2: Kong will be there.
In an interview with Gold Derby, Monarch co-creator Chris Black revealed that there is "an expectation you're gonna see more of Kong that we want to deliver on." While speaking to The Direct separately, the filmmaker also confirmed fans shouldn't worry about Kong completely taking over, and they want to make sure to still service Godzilla and other Titans.
Speaking of other Titans, with Season 2 taking place in 2017, the series' events are getting closer to the story of Godzilla: King of Monsters, which features a large handful of monsters to play around with. Monarch could have seasons' worth of content if it worked to explore the existence of creatures like Mothra or Rodan.
Then there's Apex, Monarch's more evil competitor, set to take center stage in Season 2. This directly ties to Godzilla vs. Kong, where they were responsible for bringing Mechagodzilla online. Needless to say, there is an endless amount of interesting connections to the movies that the show could play off of.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is streaming on Apple TV+.
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