It looks to be a solid year for Kaiju fans. We don't get it alone Godzilla minus zero in November – sequel to the critically acclaimed Godzilla Minus one (2023) – but Apple TV just released a teaser for the second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsterspart of Legendary Entertainment's MonsterVerse, which brought Godzilla, King Kong, and several other monsters (Kaiju) made by Toho Co., Ltd in the same fold.
(Spoilers for S1 below.)
The first season picked up where 2014 left off Godzilla remained, most notably the introduction of Project Monarch, a secret organization formed in the 1950s to target Godzilla and others Kaiju– after attempts to kill Godzilla with nuclear weapons failed. The plot spans three generations and is set in the 1950s and half a century later. In the first season, two siblings (Kate and Kentaro Randa) follow in their father's footsteps to discover their family's connection to the secret organization known as Monarch. Naturally, they end up in the world of monsters and discover army officer Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell), an old ally of the family.
In the S1 finale, Godzilla battles an Ion Dragon and throws it through a rift back to the Hollow Earth, and Shaw seemingly sacrifices himself to save his colleagues. According to the official S2 premise:
Season two continues with the fate of Monarch – and the world – hanging in the balance. The dramatic saga reveals hidden secrets that reunite our heroes (and villains) on Kong's Skull Island, and a new, mysterious village where a mythical Titan rises from the sea. The ripple effects of the past create ripples in the present, blurring the bonds between family, friend and foe – all with the threat of a titanic event on the horizon.
In addition to Russell, recurring cast members include Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt) as the younger Shaw; Anna Sawai as Cate Randa; Kiersey Clemons in May; Ren Watabe as Kentaro Randa; Joe Tippett as Tim; Elisa Lasowski as Duvall; and Anders Holm plays the younger version of Monarch researcher Bill Randa. Takehiro Hira, Amber Midthunder, Curtiss Cook, Cliff Curtis, Dominique Tipper and Camilo Jiménez Varón will join the S2 cast as guest stars.
