Movies News Talk
Already laying the ideal basis for a forgotten Kong villain to make their debut in season 2, the Apple TV+ series, Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters Deeply exploring the history of the Monsterverse's Titan-studying company, the show runs two separate timelines: one in the 1950s and another in the present. With Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 confirmed in April 2024, the show has grown to be rather popular on the streaming platform. The show is supposed to keep broadening the Monsterverse with fresh exploits for its characters.
The Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters season 1 finale exposed the configuration for the next series of episodes. Following a sacrifice made by Lee, Cate, May, and Keiko free themselves from a long-trapped pocket of Hollow Earth. Two years later, upon their return, Kentaro is working with Apex Cybernetics on Skull Island and engaged in unknown research. While the Monarch cast negotiates their new environment, the presence of Apex on Skull Island offers a chance for a long-lost Kong villain to surface in season 2.
Within the long chronology of the Monsterverse, Monarch season 1 ends in 2017, roughly seven years before Godzilla's release. In an effort to bring Titans under human control, the technological company reveals in the movie that they developed Mechagodzilla, a mechanized form of Godzilla under Ghidorah's neural network. But when the mechanical creature goes rogue—possessed by Ghidorah's consciousness—this strategy finally fails and Godzilla and Kong destroy it. Apex is researching Skull Island, thus they might be gathering Kong's data to maybe provide a parallel for him too.
Should Kong be under investigation by Apex, Mechani-kong could be built during Monarch season 2. Often seen in Toho's 1967 film King Kong Escapes, the mechanized form of Kong was developed by Dr. Who, a mad scientist aiming at world takeover. But thanks to Apex's Titan research, Mechani-Kong can be recycled for the Monsterverse as a forerunner for Mechagodzilla. It would also throw light on a mystery about Skull Island the Monsterverse has not addressed since Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
A sequence of newspaper clippings flash onscreen throughout Godzilla: King of the Monsters' credits, most of which foreshadow Godzilla Vs. Kong. One fascinating report, though, indicates that Monarch was building a "mechanized giant" on Skull Island before 2019. Although the identity of this specific character is yet unknown, the project's description does not point to Mechagodzilla. Given that it's said to be a "giant," the project might be humanoid, matching Mechani-kong's body type should he be under construction.
Should the project referenced in Godzilla: King of the Monsters be indeed Mechani-Kong, then it is likely that Monarch season 2 will retcon it as something Apex was working on rather than Monarch. For the franchise, this would not be a major departure; rather, it would help to fill in some gaps about the history of Skull Island between Bill Randa's research and Godzilla against. Two ideas the show is already addressing, multiple Hollow Earth realms and access points for Titans, would also not be as difficult to balance.
If Mechani-Kong showed up in Monarch season 2, his most likely use would be as a practice run for Mechagodzilla. It's not clear what else would fit. APX has been honing its technology for nearly ten years by the time Godzilla Vs. Kong opens. This surely means they experimented with other mechanized versions of Titans in the interim, probably to see if their creations were strong enough to challenge the real thing. Starting with Kong makes sense given he apparently isn't in Monarch's custody by 2017.
Though the Monsterverse can bring many kaiju, Mechani-Kong would be the best approach to more tightly relate Monarch's story to the films. The metallic ape provides the ideal basis for the technological company's perfecting of Mechagodzilla, so enabling their choice to employ Ghidorah's head as a tool. Explaining how Kong was able to defeat Mechagodzilla fast at the end of Godzilla vs. Kong, it would also create an interesting struggle between Kong and Mechani-Kong.
Although it's unknown what Apex is really creating on Skull Island in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2, Mechani-Kong would bring the long-forgotten villain front stage. This would be the ideal approach to link the TV series with the films since it offers a more thorough background of the technological company and creates an unforgettable fight scene. With the niche villain a main possibility for season 2, the Monsterverse's presence on streaming could be on its way to get much more prominent.
Future Monsterverse entries could feature other possible King Kong villains including the Vastatosaurus Rex and the giant boa, Gorosaurus.
Designed for Apple TV+, the sci-fi action series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters carries on the Legendary MonsterVerse. Set following Godzilla's events against Kong, the show centers on two siblings tracking their father's footsteps in search of the truth behind their family legacy. Their findings probe the foundations of the enigmatic company and set up a three-decade narrative.