Tristar's Godzilla (1998) could have been a glorious start to the King of the Monsters' journey in Hollywood. Instead, the film's abysmal reception not only cut that short but also forced Toho to retire Godzilla early with a wild send-off in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). Almost a decade went by before Toho decided to revamp the franchise, and shockingly, it was an American reboot from Legendary Pictures. Fans and critics approached the hype warily after the disappointment from last time. But the 2014 Godzilla movie broke all expectations and helped launch a shared universe of Kaiju carnage called the MonsterVerse. It was inevitable that a live-action television series eventually made landfall, bringing with it an array of monsters.

Produced by Legendary Television in association with Toho and released on Apple TV+, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023) tells the story of half-siblings Cate and Kentaro Randa, who investigate the disappearance of their father when they...