‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Season 2 Review: A New Kaiju Has Entered the Chat

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if any of the MonsterVerse films had human characters that were actually interesting? Well, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 proves that this is possible.

Brought to you by Chris Black (Severance, Mad Men) and Matt Fraction (yeah, the comic writer Matt Fraction), this series fills in the gaps between the 2014 Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Kong. This Apple Original is led by Emmy-winner Anna Sawai as Cate Randa, and Wyatt and Kurt Russell, who both portray Lee Shaw — the 1950s and present-day versions of the character.

What is ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ About?

That’s right, the series follows two timelines — one in the 1950s, featuring the younger Lee Shaw, Dr. Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), and young Bill Randa (Anders Holm), before his deadly expedition in Kong: Skull Island. The other timeline takes place after the infamous G-Day in Godzilla, leading up to the collision of the other titans and Godzilla in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

The crew in the more present day consists of the older Lee Shaw, Cate, her father, and brother Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira), and Kentaro Randa (Ren Watabe), their tech-savvy friend May (Kiersey Clemons), and Monarch executive Tim (Joe Tippett), as both past and present uncover the secrets of the corporation obsessed with titans, Monarch.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 picks right up after the end of Season 1, with Keiko and Cate emerging from Axis Mundi, the transitional realm between the Earth’s surface and Hollow Earth. The only issue is that due to time dilation in the realm, two years on Earth have passed while Cate was on what was thought to be a short rescue mission for Keiko, and in those two years, Monarch has teamed up with rival company Apex to bring Cate back and study the rift that leads to this realm on Skull Island. Of course, that means just as the Season 1 finale promised, Season 2 includes the big man himself — King Kong.

Is It Love or Is It Monsters?

It’s great to see the team reunite from the jump in Season 2, but as they get acclimated to the changes that happened while they were gone, the mission remains rescuing Lee Shaw from Axis Mundi. This means reopening that rift, which exposes the Earth to a brand new kaiju threat — Titan X. The series focuses more on the humans obsessed with the monsters than the monsters themselves, but don’t fret, there is plenty of titan action to be had, especially with this brand new tentacled titan on the loose.

The flashbacks focus on the ongoing formation of Monarch as an entity, as well as the ever-growing, complicated love triangle among Lee, Bill, and Keiko. The trio set in the past has the most incredible chemistry, showcasing how complicated it can be to mix love and business. The flashbacks also inform the present mission regarding Titan X, since Lee and Keiko encountered a small cult town that worshipped this creature in the 1950s.

Who is the Real Villain in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Season 2?

On the other hand, the current timeline delves deeper into the ongoing race between Apex and Monarch’s new leaders. They plan not only to learn about the titans but also weaponize them for profit and personal gain. It’s easy for humanity to judge a creature by the destruction it causes, but many fail to see that it’s an unfortunate byproduct of its instinctive nature.

Just like Alien: Earth did last year, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 casts light on the real villain — large corporations. Monarch was formed to understand these creatures, not only to protect the human race from them, but also to protect the titans from greedy humans who seek only to control them, creatures who are simply trying to exist. The series invites the audience to wonder why this destruction occurs rather than placing easy blame.

‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Provides Necessary Cohesion for the MonsterVerse

Some emotional beats feel a bit forced and not fully earned, but at the same time, the series delivers some complex character work dealing with not only Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but also generational trauma and family legacy. The characters in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 are relatable and tangible, unlike those in the films, who serve only as vehicles to fill in the gaps between monster collisions.

Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing massive kaiju boss fights on the big screen, but seeing this world through the lens of long-form storytelling really lets incredible actors like the Russell father-son duo, and Anna Sawai shine, even when some of the material can fall into some common tropes. The squad is consistently broken up to put certain game pieces on different parts of the board, while some big, impactful moments fall short because they’re really only there as plot devices.

The most impressive part of the series is how much context this story adds to the extensive universe the films have set up. While the movies serve as roller coaster rides for audiences, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 uses a character-driven narrative to give fans answers to events across all the movies.

Basically, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is doing for the MonsterVerse movies what The Clone Wars did for the Star Wars prequel films. It’s far from peak TV, but it’s definitely a must-watch for fans of the Godzilla-Kong shared universe.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 debuts on Apple TV on February 27, 2026. Follow Agents of Fandom socials for all the latest entertainment news and reviews