Legendary’s MonsterVerse live-action series for Apple TV, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” achieved a franchise first: provide compelling human characters. In the first season, creators Chris Black and Matt Fraction managed to tell a captivating story with a monstrous, globe-trotting scope spanning two timelines: the 1950s and the 2010s. The series follows three branches of the Randa family tree: Keiko (Mari Yamamoto), her son, Hiroshi Randa (Takehiro Hira), and his children, half-siblings Cate (Anna Sawai) and Kentaro (Ren Watabe). It also delves into their involvement in Monarch, a secret organization co-founded by Col. Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell in the 1950s/Kurt Russell in the present day) that supervises titans such as Godzilla and Kong.
“Monarch’s” Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off on Kong Island in 2017, with Keiko, Cate, and Kentaro’s tech-savvy ex-May (Kiersey Clemons) being saved from the interdimensional rift Axis Mundi by Kentaro, Hiroshi, and Monarch worker Tim (Joe Tippet), with the help of Apex Industries, the mega tech rival company introduced in “Godzilla vs. Kong.” After a long-awaited family reunion between the unaged Keiko and her fully-grown son in 2017, Cate is determined to rescue Lee—who sacrificed himself to save them—from Axis Mundi. However, during the rescue effort, they unintentionally let loose a squid-like titan, which they call Titan X, into their realm. Upon his arrival, the family is once again faced with new challenges as they attempt to locate the new Titan and try to stop it. This culminates in another global rat race between Monarch and Apex, who, of course, try to exploit it for their gain.
For Lee and Keiko, it’s not their first time dealing with Titan X. Scenes from their past play out when they first encounter the monster in Santa Soledad, a village that treats it as if it were their God. Moreover, the relationship between Keiko, Lee, and Keiko’s fiancé Bill Randa (Anders Holm) is put to the test as their secrets make ripple effects to impact the family in the present.
The ten-episode season is never dull. It thrusts you into the immediate chaos and gets to the central focus of the new Titan and the ramifications of its arrival, both on a global and an intermediate level within the Randa family. The season’s plot alternates between being a thrilling extension of the MonsterVerse series that raises the stakes and a “Jurassic World” entry (if it were good) while never losing sight of the engaging humanistic elements.
The ensemble continues to deliver fine performances. Kurt and Wyatt Russell, particularly, are standouts, employing their signature charm through Lee Shaw, who serves as the most effective emotional connection between the past and the present. Mari Yamamoto’s portrayal of Keiko is commendable, as she delivers a maternal performance that resonates with her older co-star Takehiro Hira’s Hiroshi—it’s also funny to witness this mother-son dynamic after freshly seeing them play employee and boss in “Rental Family.” Yamamoto also exhibits the same emotional burden of regret and pain toward Kurt Russell’s Lee as Keiko’s younger self did with Wyatt’s Lee.
The young adult cast doesn’t fare as well. While the characters were well-developed during the freshman season, this sophomore season feels like they’re all written like characters straight out of a YA novel. Anna Sawai’s portrayal of Cate is especially empathetic, and her depiction of her PTSD stemming from surviving the G-Day attack feels authentic. However, this season, while understandable in her intense emotions, she feels as if she has slightly regressed. Numerous beats in the season depict her in a state of constant adolescent-like angst, even before she experiences severe guilt for a mistake that she punishes herself for. The same issue also persists with Watabe’s Kentaro and Clemons’ May, who are written as if they’re teens and not twenty-somethings.
After a mid-season turning point, one that throws a titan-sized wedge in the family, “Prey’s” Amber Midthunder makes an entrance as Isabel, a determined, persuasive businesswoman who has deep ties to Apex. She may come late in the game, but Midthunder’s fierce presence taking center stage adds intense chaos to the Titan X rat race.
By now, it’s obvious that the primary focus isn’t on the big ol’ rock-em-sock-em kaijus if you’re a MonsterVerse fan who is only there for the fights. When they do erupt, however, it is of the same high visual quality and exhilarating thrill as the feature counterparts.
“Monarch’s” season 2 maintains the momentum of its predecessor, marking the best of the MonsterVerse TV series to date. But, like Godzilla’s atomic breath, it takes a while to charge up and deliver a powerful blast.
Whole season screened for review. Season premieres on Apple TV on February 27, 2026.
