Forget the multiverse. Forget the Spider-Verse. We’re all about the MonsterVerse right now! Yes folks, following the almighty clash of the Titans that was 2021’s Godzilla Vs. Kong, a veritable bevy of Kaiju big boys are headed for the small screen in our other favourite M-based cinematic universe’s TV debut. And if you’re not hyped for Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters already, then let star of the show Kurt Russell remind you why you should be. Check out the new inside look featurette that Apple TV released today.
“There are certain characters, certain things, that have an impact on you, and Godzilla is one of them,” says Russell at the start of the featurette. It’s a sense of reverence for the source being worked with here that’s shared by executive producers Chris Black and Matt Fraction, who talk about being taken with the idea of telling “a human-scaled story on a monster-scaled stage.” Which is exactly what Monarch – which tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the titular secret organization – does, luxuriating in the space afforded it by its 10-episode length. What Monarch also does is allow Kurt Russell to star alongside his son Wyatt, with both of them playing older and younger versions of series protagonist Lee Shaw. “The idea of playing the same person had an artistic element that drew us to it,” says Russell Jr.
If you’re worried that the smaller screen will in any way compromise the blockbuster pedigree of the MonsterVerse though, then fear not. As the cast reveal, the show shot across glaciers, deserts, and in the heart of Godzilla’s birthplace – Tokyo. “I feel like the show we all set out to do was always going to be epic and adventurous,” says star Kiersey Clemons, who plays May Olowe-Hewitt, “But all the underlying feelings are there too.”
Ultimately, the series, which has its sights set on pleasing MonsterVerse diehards and franchise newcomers alike, is all about giving the viewers a good time. “It’s the height of entertainment,” Wyatt Russell declares. “It has action and excitement, and all these monsters are pretty gnarly.” Consider us sold!
Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters streams on Apple TV+ from 17 November.