The new Monarch: Legacy of Monsters trailer teases the return of Godzilla. The upcoming Apple TV+ show is a spinoff from the Monsterverse, which includes the movies Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong as well as the animated show Skull Island. Following the mysterious scientific organization Monarch and starring Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt Russell as Army officer Lee Shaw in different stages of his life, Monarch is set to premiere with two episodes on November 17, followed by weekly premieres of the remaining eight episodes.
At New York Comic Con, Apple TV unveiled a new official trailer for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 1. Check it out below:
The trailer reinforces the fact that the new show highlights the human characters that are at its center, giving a more on-the-ground look at the reaction to various monstrous rampages. However, the trailer also shows a closer glimpse at returning monsters including Godzilla itself, who is shown emerging after Kurt Russell insists “we could use some help.”
Godzilla’s Relationship To Monarch Explained
It is ultimately unclear how aware Godzilla is of the activities of Monarch. The monster’s massive size, as well as the scope of its own mission, makes it so that the activities of any individual or group of people would hardly register. However, the Monsterverse has made it clear that, despite Godzilla’s destructive power, it is ultimately on the side of maintaining the proper balance of nature, which aligns with the goals of many of the heroes of the movies, both within and without Monarch.
This approach to Godzilla is in keeping with the way the monster was represented in later entries in the original Japanese movie franchise. Although he was originally brought to the screen as a horrific reflection of the devastation of World War II and the atomic bomb, he eventually became a staple of special effects cinema, with a growing popularity among young audiences. Later movies such as 1966’s Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and 1971’s Godzilla vs. Hedorah would position Godzilla as an out-and-out hero, helping defend the Earth from various attacking monsters.
Godzilla being a more or less positive force in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters makes sense given the show’s place in the Monsterverse timeline. However, it remains to be seen if Godzilla’s goals will align with the goals of the human characters at the center of the show. This version of Godzilla is a force of uncontrollable power that follows its own path regardless of human interference, though it will almost certainly square off against any new monsters that threaten the world.
