In the Apple TV+ series derived from the Godzilla universe, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”, a cinema legend and his son play the same character fifty years apart.
Launched on Apple TV+ on November 17, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is one of the most expensive and ambitious projects on the platform. Part of Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse franchise started with Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla in 2014, the series takes place just after this first film and therefore in 2014.
The story begins just after the epic clash between Godzilla and the Titans that left San Francisco in ruins. Other films included Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, and the highly anticipated Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which is scheduled for release on April 10, 2024 in France.
As its title suggests, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is particularly interested in the secret organization Monarch – which could be compared to Marvel’s SHIELD – and which closely follows the activity of the Titans on Earth.
Within Monarch, Captain Lee Shaw is played by Wyatt Russell in the 1950s and by Kurt Russell in 2014. When we meet him in the series, Shaw is a young man who joins Monarch in its early days to study Godzilla and the presence of other Titans.
Matt Shakman, one of the directors of the series, spoke to Collider on this casting choice, this father-son duo for one and the same character:
Manu Sevillano / ATRES MEDIA Kurt and Wyatt Russell
“It is certain that we discussed two different actors. I think this is the usual approach. But we came up with the idea of Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell, who I think are often offered father and son roles, but I don’t think they’ve ever been offered the same role. at two different times.
I felt like it was a brilliant idea, and that’s so rare. I mean two actors who are extraordinary in their own right, two actors who are uncannily similar because they are father and son in the same role, that was an idea that we had to embrace wholeheartedly, and they were enthusiastic about it. to the idea of doing it.”
He added that Kurt Russell was a perfect fit for the monster universe and was one of his favorite actors. As an icon of American cinema, pairing him with Godzilla – a legendary figure of cinema – was a match made in heaven, according to Shakman.