Monsterverse

Alright, I loved this movie. So much better than Kong: Skull Island. It was weird at one moment with Serizawa and Russell switched opinions.

Overall this was an emotional roller coaster. Godzilla was injured, so the humans came to the rescue and then they joined the fight against King Ghidorah. I am so pleased with this sequel. But I didn’t expect Serizawa to die along the way.

So I stuck with it and watched movie number 2. Kong: Skull Island while not tying back to Godzilla (2014) heavily (or more than like three lines of dialogue total), failed to grip me as much. It felt like a muddled mash up of your stereotypical Vietnam War story and fantastical creatures horror jig. Most the time I couldn’t understand if I was meant to care for any of the humans. By the time it got to like the 1:30:00 mark, I felt the true conflict arose: kill vs. defend Kong. Most curious question: is Mason Weaver meant to be an Ann Darrow counterpart?

My mind immediately wants to compare this to Peter Jackson’s King Kong remake. I am most with that story for my connection to Kong. I’m certain I’ve seen the original but can’t confirm. Sorry Brie, but I think Naomi Watts was a better Darrow.

EDIT: Kinda pissed me of the post-credit scene was exactly that: post credits. That part should have been a slightly bigger focus of the plot.

In Santa Soledad, Titan X becomes a target for Apex, forcing Shaw and the Randas to infiltrate the covert experiment.

Once again, a somewhat spoilery official teaser clip has been shared with media — available in this article.

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/37146040

While those of us who were already fans of the Monsterverse extended Godzilla universe continuity have been watching Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on AppleTV, it turns out that Amazon Prime has had a licence to stream it until March 31st.

Currently, the second season of this popular action epic is rolling out on Apple TV, but season 1 is one of the most-watched Prime Video shows on the planet at the moment. This brief stint on Prime Video will be short-lived, however, since the series will be removed from Prime Video less than 2 weeks on April 1, 2026. Don't miss your chance to binge this celebrated series before it's gone.

If you’re thinking of giving Monarch a try, and don’t have AppleTV, this may be a good opportunity.

To get Hiroshi’s device back, Shaw and the team execute a daring heist at Apex Cybernetics.

Written by: Al Letson

Directed by: Hiromi Kamata

Welcome to the episode discussion! There is no spoiler protection in episode discussion threads, and spoiler tags are not necessary!

Whatever the actual weather may be where you are, this Blender creation by visual artist @toolbrowny (on YouTube) aka shanedioneda.com, may give you a spring experience.

I was recommended Monarch. Wanted to start from the beginning. So I watched Godzilla (2014). Guess my hesitation was from my exposure to the Roland Emmerich movie as a child (I did like the animated sequel series), and the Hanna-Barbera cartoon. I have no familiarity with the IP outside this.

This was unexpectedly very enjoyable. Not a lot actually occurs by way of the plot but the moments we get of Godzilla and the mutos just look so cool. I was cheering when the last muto got fire breath directly down their mouth. Definitely going to watch Kong: Skull Island.

On a more serious note: what was the response from the Japanese audience? This was just three years after the Fukushima meltdown. Knowing the original 1954 movie was commentary on Hiroshima, makes me wonder how such a audience felt in 2014, not just with the timing but also the fact it was a American franchise bringing back the IP.

A comprehensive perspective on the Guinness Book of World Records longest running screen franchise from The Irish Examiner.

Having a the perspective of an Irish fan and media critic is interesting - Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and other Godzilla media do consistently less well in English speaking countries other than the United States.

From the piece:

But why are giant monsters enjoying a resurgence in 2024, when big franchises such as Marvel are going through a slump? How is it that we have gone cold on men and women in spandex costumes, while we embrace kaiju laying waste to our cities?

“Kaiju have become the new superheroes. Much like anime, after years of blossoming in its niche fandom here in the West, kaiju have expanded into mainstream popularity,” says Nathan Marchand, host of  The Monster Island Film Vault podcast.

By @grickle@mstdn.social - https://mstdn.social/@grickle/116245351426406913

To get Hiroshi’s device back, Shaw and the team execute a daring heist at Apex Cybernetics.

Mild spoilers ahead for this Friday’s episode…

Again, there’s a teaser clip that Broadway World has up.

This feature article from Japan Times includes more perspective on filming in Japan and the cross-Pacific cast.

For decades, Japan had a reputation as a difficult place for international productions to film. But the experience of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” suggests that perception is beginning to shift.

“It was nice to see how everyone was coming together (and that) Japan is also growing to be a more easily filmable place,” Sawai says.

Ren Watanbe, who plays Kenark Randa, says:

“That's what makes this show original,” Watabe says. “My character, who's authentically Japanese, is bringing that element to the story on a very Hollywood scale. You’ve got Kurt Russell and Kiersey Clemons (alongside myself) and I think that’s a very unique thing.”

Reading through speculation about what the **Monsterverse’s new kaiju Titan X aka Le Gran Dios de la Mar may be (such as the article linked above), it sounds increasingly as though she may be a new protective mother figure, impacted or possibly even responding to the effects of global heating on the oceans.

If so, this season’s Titan threat may put Monarch: Legacy of Monsters in a unique position among current major science fiction streaming shows in directly taking on a Climate Change/Emergency scenario with no gloss of allegory.

It is nonetheless absolutely in keeping with the long tradition of the broader franchise in critiquing the consequences of human actions on the planet.

The 70+ year Godzilla franchise is unique in embedding the impact of humanity on the Earth’s environment from its outset.

The narrative of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as later nuclear weapons testing and nuclear power plants, calling up kaiju, literally “strange creature”, is a constant within the franchise.

In addition to atomic/nuclear radiation, films such as Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971), with its smog monster, and the more recent Monsterverse film Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), which ends with Godzilla leading an ecological recovery, the franchise continues to underscore its deep theme that humanity shares the Earth and will bear the consequences for its actions.

Legendary Comics will be releasing a new 120 page graphic novel in mid July 2026.

It’s an official release that promises to offer significant backstory on all of the M:LOM main characters. (I’m personally curious to know more about Kentaro’s adventures between the two seasons.)

The graphic novel is already available for preorder via booksellers. That said, it’s still possible to request to be a late backer for the Kickstarter campaign . Backers at higher tier levels have access to alternate covers and a WĒTĀ Titan Concept Art Portfolio.

From the vendor copy:

Dive into the mystical and mysterious world of MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS with five new stories in the Monsterverse not seen on TV!

Featuring the most beloved characters from the world of Monarch, this graphic novel is one prequel that fans of the Apple TV show will not want to miss!

From the kickstarter page:

Legendary Comics presents a new graphic anthology that dives deep into the mystical and mysterious world of MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS.

Features five (5) all-new stories!

THE USS LAWTON AND THE ION DRAGON

Before he became a Monarch operative, Billy Randa faces a harrowing test of endurance against a formidable creature in THE USS LAWTON AND THE ION DRAGON, offering a gripping tale of resilience.

WRITER: Paul Cornell
ARTIST: Drew Zucker
COLORIST: Brad Simpson

KENTARO, HIROSHI, AND KONG

Kentaro, Hiroshi, and Kong embark on a journey that leads to the creation of the Apex base on Skull Island, setting the stage for what’s to come. 

WRITER: Marguerite Bennett
ARTIST: Alberto Sapien

LEE SHAW

During Monarch’s lockdown, Lee Shaw reflects on a key moment from his past. This character-driven story offers a deeper look into his journey and the choices that shaped him.

WRITER: Tony Lee
ARTIST: Tony Shasteen

KEIKO AND THE BRAMBLEBOAR

In a world teeming with mystery and danger, KEIKO AND THE BRAMBLEBOAR Keiko and the Brambleboar follows Keiko as she struggles to survive in the treacherous realm of Axis Mundi, where every encounter is a battle for survival.

WRITER: James F. Wright
ARTIST: Amanda Perez Puentes
COLORS: Eren Angiolini
 

CATE AND MAY

Set before the first season, these interludes provide a glimpse into the lives of Cate and May before they crossed paths with Monarch and each other, offering insight into the events that led them to their fateful encounters.

Creative Team: To be announced

Shaw, Keiko, Hiroshi and Kentaro go rogue in an attempt to find Titan X. Cate struggles with feelings of guilt. A buried secret is exposed.

Written by: Kari Drake

Directed by: Hiromi Kamata

Welcome to the episode discussion! There is no spoiler protection in episode discussion threads, and spoiler tags are not necessary!

Emmy Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series Award winner Anna Sawai has somewhat suddenly burst into high profile since she was working on filming season one of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

She and her M:LOM character Cate Randa unfortunately have taken a lot of fan blowback over season one and the early episodes of season two.

Legendary seems determined to build the Monsterverse with compelling character drama with imperfect heros. They got the same kind of flack for Kong: Skull Island (2017) despite a strong cast and some of their best writing.

It’s being successful in definitely drawing in new fans. One can only be hopeful that there’s enough of a balance with kaiju action to moderate the negativity from long term ones.

It’s interesting to have a major THR interview with Sawai in any event.

For those interested in creature models — both practical physical models and vfx — as well as anything Monsterverse or kaiju in general, this new AppleTV official featurette is a ‘must see.’

When to see it will depend on your interest in or willingness to be spoiled as it does give some things away about what’s upcoming in season two of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

It seems to make clear that Le Gran Dios de la Mar aka “Titan X” is a wholly new creation for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. There remains nonetheless much to speculate about.

Shaw, Keiko, Hiroshi and Kentaro go rogue in an attempt to find Titan X. Cate struggles with feelings of guilt. A buried secret is exposed.

Happy Tuesday! Mild spoilers for this Friday’s episode ahead…

In addition to the episode description, and production stills that tell us little about what might be revealed in an episode titled Secrets, Apple has again released a short teaser clip from the episode. BroadwayWorld is again the first entertainment media site posting the clip

For those who are monster-curious, alternate history buffs, or outright fans of Godzilla and other kaiju, this may be an anthology to your taste.

While most stories are not about kaiju, one of the best, in this anthology of consistently good to great stories, is very much a tale that belongs in the franchise.

Beyond that, like the Titan hunters in the Monsterverse, there are many monsters from many cultures and traditions that could be integrated into the continuity.

I didn’t know what to expect of this anthology, I’d never heard of the editor, Henry Herz, but several science fiction and even some Treklit authors on my auto-buy list were identified as contributors in the early promotional announcements. So, I preordered on spec.

While many science fiction anthologies from independent publishers are uneven, this one has not only no duds, there isn’t a single story that is less than good, some are excellent and potentially classics.

The stories are presented in chronological order, covering the entire theatre of the Second World War, providing a loosely coherent narrative of unseen happenings in between known historical events.

The editor has successfully attracted a diverse range of authors, including ones who write from the perspective of Indigenous and colonized peoples. The book opens and closes with original poems by Janet Yolen. The well known alternate history and science fiction authors have put in the effort with none of the disappointments found in other recent anthologies where some of them seem to be ‘phoning it in.’ One can only credit the editor for holding all these writers to a high standard.

The book itself is physically appealing with an original small pen and ink drawing topping each of the stories.

I’m definitely looking forward to future anthologies Henry Herz will edit. My partner an alternate history buff, who zipped through the book over a weekend once I’d finished my more leisurely read, is ready to autobuy from this editor.

It seems that the reviewer at Locus magazine had a similar assessment in their spoilery review.

Fortunately for Kaiju fans, Herz has co-edited a new Kaiju-specific anthology coming out in hard cover this June from Titanbooks : Big Bad Book of Kaiju: Seventeen city-smashing stories of monsters.

Lee and Keiko investigate a secretive village with a cult devoted to a mysterious creature. Cate crosses paths with a deadly stowaway.

Written by: Dan Dworkin

Directed by: Lawrence Trilling

There is no spoiler protection in episode discussion threads, and spoiler tags are not necessary!

IDW Games is running a (seemingly quite successful) Kickstarter campaign to raise money for an official/licensed GodzillaTTRPG.

Who knew?

From what I can see, IDW’s games line has only done tabletop board games up to now. For this official Godzilla TTRPG, they have engaged established Warhammer 40k game designers, and unsurprisingly have overshot their minimum requirement for pledges. The pledge campaign will run until Thursday, April 2, 2026.

There are various pledge tiers that will provide backers anything from just a digital copy to ones that have a hardbound book and/or a box set, playing cards, playing mat, and even a new sculpt Godzilla figurine.

More is coming from the makers of Godzilla Minus One (2024)!

In addition to the licensed continuity of the Legendary Pictures Godzilla (2014) movie, its sequels and the expansion of the franchise to television on Apple, Toho is investing further in the success of its Oscar winning 2024 retro film.

Godzilla Minus Zero now has confirmed release dates of November 3rd in Japan and November 6th in Canada and the US. As well, an IMAX release has been confirmed.

Spoiler warning

Apple has released a one minute clip from M:LOG 2 x 02 Resonance to keep the first week momentum rolling.

As this post is about the upcoming episode based on the description, publicity photos and this new clip, spoilers and speculation on currently available information are allowed.

There’s a rich history of Godzilla themed games.

Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers is a 2024 Monsterverse-licensed game that has announced an official event featuring the new Titan X from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

An ancient Titan has risen from a mysterious Rift with a swarm of Scarabs. Monarch needs you to stand with Godzilla & Kong to restore balance to the Siren Isles.

Join The Chase.

Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers is available on Android, IOS and PC for purchase through the Google Store, AppStore and Steam.

Wikizilla page for the game.