Legendary Pictures has been building a shared universe around iconic monsters Godzilla and King Kong over the last handful of years. After a pair of Godzilla films and an in-universe prequel centered around Kong, the beasts went head-to-head last year in the aptly titled Godzilla vs. Kong. The showdown seemed to be the culmination of Legendary's grand vision, but in the world of streaming, any franchise can continue to have life on one of the many platforms that are looking for content to keep subscribers on board.
With a franchise as high profile as the Monsterverse, it's no surprise there are plans for it to continue through a spin-off series about the Monarch organization on Apple TV+. While a production start date and release window are unknown at this time, a new report from The Illuminerdi is shedding some light on the possible cast for the show. Wyatt Russell, star of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, is reportedly being considered for the role of "Young Lee Shaw." What's even more interesting is that the report says Apple is looking at Wyatt's father, legendary actor Kurt Russell, to play an older version of the Lee Shaw character.
Scenes with the younger version of Lee Shaw are said to be set in the 1950s and 60s, and the character will be a hard-nosed member of the military. If Kurt Russell ends up in the series, then his portrayal of Shaw would be taking place in the main timeline of Monarch, which will seemingly be between the events of 2014's Godzilla and its sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. A synopsis of the series says:
"Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the series explores one family's journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch."
The Monarch Series Could Be a Rebirth for the Monsterverse
The four Monsterverse films only scratched the surface of Monarch, so there are a lot of storytelling possibilities with this series, especially since it seems like it will be set in two different time periods. The early days of Monarch were chronicled in Kong: Skull Island, but there's plenty more that can be fleshed out between then and when the series is set to pick up. What will be interesting to see is how much money Apple is willing to put into the project, as creating creatures such as Godzilla, the MUTOs, and the other Titans required a substantial VFX budget for the Monsterverse films. With the synopsis describing a familial drama of sorts, the Monarch show may not contain the level of monster mashing that audiences have come to expect.
If there isn't a heavy dose of Godzilla action, the series may be a tough sell for Apple. Domestic returns declined with each subsequent film in the Monsterverse, as 2014's Godzilla was the only one to make more than $200 million. On the other hand, Legendary may still see value in the franchise, but not enough to put it back on the big screen. If Monarch finds success on Apple TV+, maybe it could lead to a resurgence for Godzilla or King Kong in the next few years.