‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Spin-Off Series Is a Punk Rock Cold War Spy Thriller [Exclusive]

As Monarch: Legacy of Monsters gears up for Season 2 on Apple TV, the MonsterVerse is already expanding. And if you thought you knew what to expect from Lee Shaw’s upcoming spin-off series… think again. Collider’s Steve Weintraub recently sat down with Wyatt Russell, Kurt Russell, and executive producer Tory Tunnell to talk about Season 2, and got the scoop on the new show centered on Lee. From what we heard, it sounds like Apple TV is taking some big swings. Speaking about expanding the MonsterVerse, Tunnell told Collider: “As we build up this world, we’re already going into our next show in the series that we’re going to be shooting in the spring. We want to keep people guessing, and we want to be bringing in those Titans. We want to continue to push and show people how big our world is, and that’s part of the fun of it.”

In terms of what we can expect from that upcoming series, Russell was thrilled to share that we’re in for a real treat. “I can tease that it’s going to be something that you’ve got absolutely no fucking clue what to expect,” said Wyatt Russell. He went on to tease the ’80s set spin-off, and how it delves into Lee’s history, saying:

“I think people are going to expect one thing and be like, ‘Holy shit, this is not what I expected.’ It’ll go deeper into Lee’s experience after he came up, and being sort of put on ice, in 1982, and then what happens after that, and why he’s needed and the mission he goes on. I’m so excited about it. More excited about that than I’ve been excited about something in a very long time.”

Russell also revealed he’s already read the first episode and couldn’t be happier with where it’s headed. He told Collider, “I’ve gotten the first episode, and it’s so well written. Joby Harold‘s writing it, showrunning it.” He continued, saying, “Having it come together the way it’s come together, I’m very excited and excited about exploring more of what this character becomes as you’ve seen him, an older version, that you see these experiences that he’s had that inform much more of what you’re going to continually be seeing in Monarch.”

Kurt Russell chimed in, reminding fans that seeds have already been planted: “Which, in the first two seasons, we dropped a few things that inform that in a certain way.” So what kind of show is it? Titans smashing cities? Cold War espionage? Both? Wyatt kept it teasingly vague. Wyatt added that what excites him most is how seamlessly the new show blends monster mythology with something deeply personal.

“It’s both, but in a way that… I don’t even know what I can talk about, so you guys figure that out later. But it’s so well integrated into both of those things, the way that they’ve dealt with and are dealing with their hand on how they infused monsters and infused the world of the MonsterVerse into a very, very, very human story, a la Monarch. It’s a little bit simpler because it’s less people. It’s less focused on a past and more focused on a present experience, mission, goal. But Joby has fused these elements so, so, so well, and I’m just excited.”

What Is the ‘Monarch’ Spin-Off About?

Producer Tory Tunnell offered even more insight into what makes this series different. When asked about the Cold War setting and Titan stakes, she emphasized that accessibility remains key. “I think what’s going to be really fun for audiences is that, again, we’re really working within the ethos of you don’t need to have seen the movies, don’t even need to have seen Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, to enjoy the new show,” said Tunnell. “It’s going to be something that is going to be tonally a departure from what we’re doing. It’s going to be a little bit more voicy, a little bit more punk rock. It’s a Cold War spy thriller that has a card flip aspect to it.”

That tonal shift is intentional, too. It cannot be a straight copy of Monarch, and so it must have its own identity, which is pleasing news for dedicated fans. Tunnell went on to explain:

“One of the things, as we continue to build out this world, is we want everything to have its own space, its own lane, so we’re not repeating ourselves. That’s absolutely something that’s a priority for us. We want to have each of the shows be able to stand on their own and be able to be for people that didn’t know that there were monster fans until they watched the show, and then maybe they see it, and they go, ‘Oh, I’ve got to go check out Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. I have to go check out the original Toho films.’ I think it becomes contagious, especially as people start to really metabolize the fact that monsters are this really amazing, as all great sci-fi and horror has always been, great metaphor for what we’re actually dealing with in our own world.”

The spin-off will run for 10 episodes, and when asked whether Apple’s long-term goal is a steady stream of MonsterVerse content, Tunnell didn’t shy away from ambition. “We have ambitious plans, and we want to continue to bring the audiences something new as often as we can.”

Season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres on February 27 on Apple TV. Look for more with the cast soon.

Release Date

November 16, 2023

Network

Apple TV

Showrunner

Chris Black, Matt Fraction

Directors

Julian Holmes, Matt Shakman, Mairzee Almas, Andy Goddard, Hiromi Kamata

Writers

Al Letson, Karl Taro Greenfeld, Chris Black, Mariko Tamaki, Amanda Overton, Andrew Colville, Matt Fraction, Milla Bell-Hart