Is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters a sequel? Here's how the Apple TV Plus series fits on the MonsterVerse's timeline

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will hit U.S. theaters on April 12, 2024. If you are on pins and needles waiting for the next meeting of the King of Monsters and the ruler of Skull Island, we have good news for you. The Apple TV+ offer has been expanded with a series that will make you wait for the latest blockbuster from the MonsterVerse.

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Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a ten-episode series about the titular organization involved in tracking and researching MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms). The production expands the mythology of the world of monsters, building a bridge between Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla. Legacy of Monsters is as much a sequel as it is a prequel and midquel. The series is set on several timelines.

The 1950s

The creators of the series, Chris Black and Matt Fraction, explore the history of the organization, which has only been hinted at in previous MonsterVerse productions. The series goes back to the 1950s to introduce the beginning of the collaboration between military officer Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell), cryptid researcher Bill Randa (Anders Holm), and Japanese scientist Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto).

Monarch: The Legacy of Monsters, Chris Black, Matt Fraction, Apple TV+, 2023

The protagonists travel to the Philippine islands to investigate radiation anomalies in the area. There, the scientists stumble upon the trail of the first kaiju and make a discovery that will legitimize the existence of the Monarch organization. The events depicted in the series seem to lead to the first attempt to kill Godzilla during the Bikini Atoll bombing, which we learned about in Godzilla and the comic book prequel Godzilla: Awakening.

The 1970s

The series returns to the 1970s to show the experienced Bill Randa (John Goodman) on the eve of the events of Kong: Skull Island. In Jordan Vogt-Roberts' film, a cryptozoologist travels with James Packard (Tom Hiddleston) and Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) to the titular island to investigate reports of a mythical giant. In the series, we see Bill encountering various representatives of the titans - including the gigantic crab Mantelclaw and the terrifying spider of the Mother Longlegs species.

Monarch: The Legacy of Monsters, Chris Black, Matt Fraction, Apple TV+, 2023

Present

The lion's share of the series takes place in the present day. Legacy of Monsters provides insight into the "G-Day" presented in Godzilla. Once again, we witness the clash between the military and the King of Monsters on the Golden Gate Bridge, but this time we experience the traumatic events from the perspective of Cate (Anna Sawai), the main protagonist of the series. Bill Randy's granddaughter and her brother Kentaro (Ren Watanabe) find themselves on the trail of intrigue involving the Monarch organization. Lee Shaw (Kurt Russel) is going to play quite a role in their quest.

Monarch: The Legacy of Monsters, Chris Black, Matt Fraction, Apple TV+, 2023

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters explores threads neglected in previous installments of the franchise. It not only elaborates on the kaiju mythology but also depicts the lives of ordinary people dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome after "G-Day." In the Apple TV+ series, there is room for both human stories and spectacular action. No matter whether we treat it as a prequel and sequel to Skull Island or a prequel, midquel, and sequel to Godzilla - Monarch is simply a must-watch for MonsterVerse fans.

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