It appears that the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters creative team did not anticipate the program being a one-off.
That comes as a bit of a surprise because the show acts as a precursor to Godzilla (2014). The show picks up right after the movie ends with the Kaiju King delivering an atomic breath-powered beatdown to the MUTOs. The show then flashes back several decades to the events of Kong: Skull Island, which tells the story of how Monarch first came to be.
Many fans thought the 10-episode first season of Legacy of Monsters would run out of narrative room because of the two sequel films that follow after the 2014 film. But it doesn't seem like that's the case.
Speaking to The Direct, executive producer Matt Fraction stated, "Well, it wasn't designed as a limited series. We certainly love the characters and playing in the world. And if we are so lucky and so fortunate, I think we could keep going for as long as people want to keep watching, quite honestly."
Similarly, showrunner Chris Black added, "I mean, it's kind of really up to the viewers and the fans. We hope that they respond to the story that, what we're telling, [and] that they'll want to see more...We had to sort of build this from the ground up as a TV series, as something that was going to go for 10 hours and hopefully, if we're lucky, two seasons, three seasons--whatever we're lucky enough to get."
Director Matt Shakman was a little more cautious, stating that he didn't want to discuss future seasons until the show had finished its current season. "We poured our heart and soul into this season. We love it. We're so proud of it. We hope people love it. If I could knock on some wood, I would hate to talk about future seasons until people have a chance to watch this one. And hopefully, they love it."
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will debut its fourth episode on Friday, December 1, 2023, following the release of its first two episodes on November 17. On January 12, 2024, the show's tenth and final season one episode will air.
Currently, the show has an 87% approval rating from critics with an average score of 7.05 out of 10. Regular viewers also seems to love the show as it has an 87% audience score.
Regarding the possibility of multiple seasons of the show, kaiju enthusiasts have pointed out that Godzilla is set in 2014, Godzilla: King of the Monsters occurs in 2019, and Godzilla vs. Kong takes place in 2024. Hence, if Apple grants the creative team the go-ahead for more seasons, Monarch will have plenty of storytelling space to work with in between each movie.
ABOUT MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS
Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco, and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch.
Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army Officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows.
Based on the Monsterverse from Legendary, and starring Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski, this dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.