Apple TV+ Unleashes Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Prequel Starring Wyatt Russell

Apple is not waiting around for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 to land. They just greenlit a prequel series, and it brings back Wyatt Russell as Colonel Lee Shaw — the younger version of the same character played by his dad, Kurt Russell. Yes, the father-son time-travel casting trick is officially becoming a franchise signature.

So what is this prequel, exactly?

The new show rewinds to 1984 and sticks with Lee Shaw at a particularly messy moment in the Cold War. Shaw, an American operative, goes undercover behind Soviet lines on a hush-hush mission to stop a massive new Titan from being unleashed. The stakes are absurdly high: we’re talking a creature big enough to devastate the U.S. and potentially flip the balance of the Cold War. It’s a sharp pivot from globe-trotting conspiracy to boots-on-the-ground spy-thriller territory — with kaiju the size of office towers looming over it.

Who is running the show?

Joby Harold is taking over as showrunner on the prequel. On top of that, he just signed a new overall deal with Legendary that hands him the keys to Apple’s Monsterverse on TV. Translation: he’s now the creative traffic cop for the whole thing, from new creatures to returning fan favorites.

"I could not feel more privileged to be a part of building out this wildly iconic universe. Apple and Legendary have been exemplary partners throughout this process, and we will continue to bring these Titans of cinematic history to audiences with the reverence they deserve."

Apple, for its part, is happy to keep feeding the beast. The streamer says audiences have been devouring Monarch: Legacy of Monsters since its launch, and with Harold steering, this spinoff is meant to kick off a larger TV expansion that keeps the spectacle while staying character-first. That’s a very corporate way of saying: more monsters, more people you care about running from them.

Season 2 update

Before the prequel shows up, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 arrives February 27 on Apple TV+. Wyatt Russell is back as Shaw, and yes, Kurt Russell returns too. Also coming back:

• Anna Sawai
• Kiersey Clemons
• Ren Watabe
• Mari Yamamoto
• Joe Tippett
• Anders Holm

If you liked the Shaw-throughline in season 1, Apple clearly noticed. Doubling down on Wyatt in the prequel while keeping Kurt in the present-day story is a smart way to tighten the mythology and keep the Russells on speed dial. Now we see if Harold’s expanded Monsterverse plan can juggle the human drama and the skyscraper-sized mayhem at the same time.