Wyatt Russell no longer has to share a part with his father.
Apple TV announced Wednesday that it was expanding the Monsterverse through a new untitled series starring Russell as Lee Shaw. Russell previously appeared in Apple’s first Monsterverse series, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” sharing the role of Lee Shaw with his father, Kurt Russell.
“Viewers around the world haven’t been able to get enough of ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ since its global debut, and we cannot wait to unleash the electrifying new stories that Joby and the entire cast and creative team have been working on,” Morgan Wandell, head of international development for Apple TV, said. “With Joby at the helm, and alongside our terrific partners at Legendary, this new spinoff will kick off an epic Monsterverse expansion that brings audiences even closer to their favorite Titans along with fantastic character-driven storytelling.”
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” takes place in two different time periods: one in 2015, the other in the 1950s. Kurt plays Lee Shaw in 2015 (one year after the events of Gareth Edwards’ 2014 film “Godzilla”), while his son takes on the character for the 1950s scenes, which detail the beginnings of the Titan-monitoring organization Monarch.
Now, Wyatt gets a series all to himself, one created by “Legacy of Monsters” EP Joby Harold. The prequel is part of an overall deal between Apple and Legendary, one that will allow them to further expand the Monsterverse.
“I could not feel more privileged to be a part of building out this wildly iconic universe,” Harold said in a statement. “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.”
“Joby is a remarkable storyteller with a deep understanding of what makes the Monsterverse resonate with fans globally,” Jason Clodfelter, president and managing director at Legendary Television, said. “We’re thrilled to bring him and Safehouse Pictures into a broader partnership alongside Apple, marking an exciting new era for the franchise.”
The new series is executive produced by Harold and Tory Tunnell for Safehouse Pictures, alongside Wyatt Russell, Chris Black, Kyle Bradstreet, Alex Boden, Max Borenstein, Andy Goddard. Kei Banno, Brian Rogers and Kenji Okuhira serve as producers. Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita will executive produce on behalf of Toho, which owns the Godzilla IP.
The untitled Lee Shaw project is the second TV series in the Monsterverse. The franchise also includes two Godzilla films (“Godzilla” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”), one Kong film (“Kong: Skull Island”), and two Godzilla vs. Kong films (“Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”). A new film, “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova,” is scheduled for release in 2027.
The second season of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” premieres on Apple TV on Feb. 27, 2026.
