Apple TV+ brings more depth to the MonsterVerse through its original series, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. It takes place after the chaos that followed Godzilla’s dramatic appearance in San Francisco. As seen in 2014’s Godzilla, the story follows Cate Randa (Anna Sawai).
This young woman embarks on a journey to Japan after her father’s supposed demise. What she uncovers is far from ordinary—her family’s deep ties to a global conspiracy involving colossal creatures like Godzilla. Alongside her newly discovered half-brothers Kentaro Randa (Ren Watanabe) and Lee Shaw.
Monarch’s hidden past unravels as Godzilla looms over a world in chaos (Photo: Monarch, Legacy of Monsters/Legendary Television, Safehouse Pictures, and Toho)Cate sets out on a mission to reveal the mysteries surrounding Monarch, a covert organization linked to her adoptive grandfather, Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
As the first season reaches its climax, the fates of key characters take unexpected turns, shocking truths come to light, and the finale paves the way for an even larger story if a second season is greenlit.
The Journey So Far
Cate’s trip to Japan to collect her late father Hiroshi Randa’s possessions quickly turns into a revelation of hidden truths. She is stunned to learn that Hiroshi had an entire second family in Tokyo, including a son, Kentaro.
Determined to uncover what else he had been keeping from them, Cate joins forces with Kentaro and his ex-girlfriend May Mateo (Kiersey Clemons) to decode Hiroshi’s files. Their pursuit of answers, however, does not go unnoticed, drawing the attention of the Monarch.
When they break Hiroshi’s old associate, Lee Shaw, out of house arrest, Monarch begins hunting them down.
Alongside Cate’s present-day search for the truth, the story also transports viewers back to Shaw’s younger days as a military officer, where he was tasked with guarding scientists Bill Randa and Keiko Miura after World War II. The world changed before their eyes when they witnessed Godzilla’s arrival in the South Pacific.
Randa convinced that the Earth harbored more of these massive beings, proposed a daring theory—our planet is hollow, and within it exists an ecosystem filled with creatures of enormous scale, which he referred to as Titans.
In 1959, an expedition to Kazakhstan took a tragic turn when Keiko fell into Hollow Earth, presumed lost forever. Following this devastating event, Randa took in her son, Hiroshi, and raised him as his own.
Years later, in 1962, Shaw led a mission into Hollow Earth and made a stunning discovery—gravity affects time differently there. What felt like mere moments to him turned out to be decades on the surface, and when he finally emerged in 1982, he had barely aged.
Fast-forward to 2015, Kentaro stumbles upon yet another shocking truth: Hiroshi faked his death. His real objective? To continue investigating Monarch, Hollow Earth, and the Titans, especially after Godzilla attacks San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Cate, May, and Shaw end up in Hollow Earth after a Titan ambush, where they come face-to-face with someone they never expected to see—Keiko, who has not aged since her disappearance.
Will Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Return for Season 2?
The way the first season wraps up suggests that the story is far from over, leaving room for a potential second season. With the final moments showing key characters resurfacing, the next installment could change focus toward another major player in the MonsterVerse—Apex Cybernetics.
This shadowy organization, known for engineering MechaGodzilla, could become the next piece of the puzzle, revealing its origins and eventual rise to power. Meanwhile, Monarch remains active, moving closer to the timeline of Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), possibly introducing characters from the film.
The first season masterfully balanced two timelines, presenting Shaw’s early experiences in the 1950s and 1960s alongside his final years in 2015.
If a second season happens, the time-jumping approach could change focus to another character’s journey—perhaps Keiko’s long struggle in Hollow Earth and her adjustment to life in the modern world. Additionally, King Kong’s presence in the MonsterVerse has yet to be fully explored in the series.
If the first season was dedicated to uncovering Godzilla’s past, a second installment could offer a deeper insight into Kong’s history and the mysteries of Skull Island, revealing how these Titans have shaped the course of human history.
