What year is the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters set in? Explained

The new Apple TV show, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, excites MonsterVerse fans. It explores the timeline of the MonsterVerse, focusing on Monarch agents, a Titan-hunting organization linking all MonsterVerse movies. The show promises to delve into Monarch's history, a topic not extensively covered in the movies.

Additionally, MonsterVerse films are known for kaiju action but lack depth in human characters. However, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters aims to provide the needed human backstory, strengthening the MonsterVerse. Furthermore, it will also expand the universe by covering various time periods.

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What year does Monarch: Legacy of Monsters take place?

A still from the trailer of the show (Image via Apple TV+)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters unfolds in two key eras. At first, it will explore the organization's founding in the 1950s. Then, it will focus on the period around Godzilla's recent comeback and fight with the MUTOs around 2014. In the 1950s, Monarch emerged to track and study Godzilla following his awakening by nuclear tests. This period marks the organization's inception and early challenges.

The story then leaps to the 2010s, showcasing Godzilla's resurgence and his confrontation with the MUTOs around 2014. This era reveals the evolution of Monarch's tactics and their expanded Titan knowledge.

Central to connecting these times is Lee Shaw, portrayed by Kurt Russell, and his younger version by Wyatt Russell, highlighting Monarch's journey across decades. The show delves into Monarch's history, methods, and the Titans' evolution in the MonsterVerse.

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What is the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters about?

A still from the trailer of the show (Image via Apple TV+)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a show about two siblings exploring their family's ties to Monarch. It is a secretive organization after Godzilla and the Titans' battle in San Francisco. Furthermore, they discover clues about the world of monsters and encounter Army officer Lee Shaw.

Moreover, Officer Lee's knowledge poses a threat to Monarch. In addition to that, the story unfolds dramatic secrets across three generations, showing how monumental events impact lives.

The official synopsis of the show via Apple reads:

"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..."

It further states:

"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. The dramatic saga – spanning three generations – reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives."

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Is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters a sequel to Godzilla?

A still from the trailer of the show (Image via Apple TV+)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the sequel to the 2014 Godzilla movie, shows the world grappling with the existence of giant creatures called "Titans" who wreak havoc in cities due to human-induced environmental damage. The film features Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, and Sally Hawkins.

In this movie, Godzilla and Kong engage in an epic battle. Initially, enemies realize that they may need to unite against a larger, human-created danger. Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, and Brian Tyree Henry star in this crossover film. Due to the thematic parallels, many wonder if Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the sequel to Godzilla. To answer the question, no, the movie isn't a sequel to Godzilla.