Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters Season 3 Predictions - Where The MonsterVerse Goes Next

Contains spoilers for "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" Season 2, Episode 10 – "Where We Belong"

For the best part of a century, Japan has been crafting stories of giant beasts known as kaiju, which are known for menacing (and often protecting) our planet. While Godzilla has been famous in the States for many decades, we're now getting to know more of these humongous creatures thanks to Legendary's MonsterVerse franchise, which began with Gareth Edwards' 2014 film "Godzilla." We've now closed the book on the latest installment: Season 2 of the Apple TV series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," which came to a dramatic conclusion.

The second season wrapped up with reluctant hero Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) successfully leading the misunderstood Titan X out of danger and back to its rightful home beneath the Earth's surface, despite the best efforts of the duplicitous corporation Apex, fronted by her half-brother Kentaro Randa (Ren Watabe) and his new partner in kaiju crime Isabel Simmons (Amber Midthunder). What lies in store for the humans and kaiju in Season 3? Season 2's show-stopping cliffhanger teases the next big bad, but that's just one of the many problems lurking for the heroes of "Monarch."

If you think the '50s flashbacks that detail Monarch's origins as well as the messy love triangle between Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell), Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), and Bill Randa (Anders Holm) are the best part of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," we've got good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that you're probably not going to see much of Shaw in Season 3. The good news is that this is because he'll be venturing out on his own with a spin-off series.

"Starring and executive produced by Russell, the spinoff series will follow the story of Colonel Lee Shaw, an American operative who, in 1984, went on a secret mission behind enemy lines in an attempt to stop the Soviets from unleashing a horrific new Titan big enough to destroy the U.S. and turn the tide of the Cold War," Apple confirmed in a press release.

With Keiko now firmly planted in the 21st century (more on that later), this mission will see Shaw out on his own. Perhaps he'll end up calling for support from his cryptozoologist friend Bill, who last we saw is struggling to deal with Keiko's disappearance. Maybe these former friends will find themselves on opposite sides of this international conflict. It's all up in the air at the moment as far as the spin-off is concerned.

Season 2 ends with Kentaro joining forces with a newcomer to the series, Isabel Simmons. She promises to utilize the time traveling powers of the Axis Mundi to save his father Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira), who died earlier in the season. The supernatural elements of this world-between-worlds have been part of the series from the very beginning, but diving deep into time travel could open a Pandora's box that will be impossible for Kentaro and Isabel to control.

The big question for Kentaro is if he can actually trust Amber Midthunder's enigmatic character. She's already proven that she's willing to stretch the truth to get Kentaro to do what she wants, and MonsterVerse fans know what her father, Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir), is after: He wants to control and manipulate the titans.

We see Walter accomplish this in "Godzilla vs. Kong," in which he creates the rampaging Mechagodzilla out of the decapitated head of Ghidorah. As the somewhat confusing "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" timeline rapidly closes in on the films, perhaps Kentaro and Isabel's schemes end up setting the events of the entire movie series into motion while also providing an opportunity for Kentaro's father to return to the series.

While Kentaro searches for a way to get his father back, Cate is going to spend Season 3 with her grandmother, Keiko. Cate never got to meet Keiko on account of Keiko being dragged into the Hollow Earth by ravenous titan bugs, and the two became fast friends in Season 2 as they worked together to save Titan X from the clutches of Apex Cybernetics.

They've now got their most important mission yet: Rebuilding Monarch from the ground up, this time with a focus on science and discovery, not military and corporate engagement. This approach is "like the founders intended," says their ally Tim (Joe Tippett), a highly enthusiastic office worker. Along with computer hacker May (Kiersey Clemons), this dynamic foursome are going back to basics as they investigate cryptozoological phenomenon around the world.

This promises some plucky, optimistic vibes for "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" Season 3. We should expect to see plenty of new adventures for the team as they venture out into the field to discover the truth about the Titans, which will be a welcome change — the somber and mournful vibes of Season 2 were a bit much for some fans, with many online calling for less drama and more action.

Keiko may be taking Monarch back to its roots, but not all the founders are in agreement about how to handle the Titan threat: After two seasons of going rogue, the elder Colonel Shaw (played by movie star Kurt Russell in one of his most memorable roles of recent years) isn't slowing down yet. He spent Season 2 trying to weaponize Godzilla against Titan X in a Hail Mary gambit to foil the nefarious plans of Apex Cybernetics and protect humanity from the growing Titan threat, and while that plan may not have succeeded, he's not about to give up.

Shaw has never had any second thoughts about embarking on these crazy plans of his and he's set to continue down this path in Season 3. The last we saw of him he was traveling through South East Asia and making deals with shady gangsters, paying them with rolls of cash. These gun-toting paramilitary types give Shaw safe passage through the jungle, but where is he headed? This is leading to one of the most exciting developments for the kaiju fans in the audience.

"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" initially avoided using the most famous kaiju, instead focusing on the human drama inherent in the story of the titular organization. However, it's part of the MonsterVerse, so the ante had to be upped at some point. King Kong was brought into the fold for Season 2, and the climactic teaser at the end of the season saw the triumphant appearance of one of Toho's most famous kaiju: Rodan.

We see the flying beast standing defiantly atop an active volcano, his wings glowing red with burning power and rage. Could Rodan usher in more Toho-era villains into the "Monarch" series? Parts of the second season took place only two years before the events of "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," so the discovery of Ghidorah and Mothra isn't far into the future. How did Monarch find them? And what are Shaw's plans for Rodan? We'll have to watch Season 3 to find out.