Wyatt Russell and Kurt Russell Talk Monarch Season 2, Spy Spinoff and Family Advice

wyatt russell and his father Kurt Russell sat down with TODAY to discuss Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season Two, stressing how the series balances human elements with large-scale kaiju battles as the new season prepares to premiere on Apple TV on February 27.

Wyatt Russell on the Cold War spy spinoff

wyatt russell shared details about a Monarch Cold War spy spinoff during the interview, and he also revealed what his father—who played a superhero in Sky High—advised him about his Captain America costume; the conversation with TODAY tied the family’s screen history to the MonsterVerse ahead of Season 2’s February 27 premiere.

Season 2 early reviews praise monsters and character work

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2, which premiered on Apple TV on February 27, has drawn early praise for marrying cinematic kaiju battles with compelling character work; critics say the season is a confident expansion of the MonsterVerse and balances large-scale thrills with thoughtful human storytelling.

How the show is structured and what critics highlighted

The series, which debuted on Apple TV in late 2023, splits its story between two half-siblings searching for their missing father in the present day and a group of researchers in Monarch’s early days decades earlier, connecting the two timelines. Reviews note that Titans are far more present in Season 2, with a mix of Kong, Godzilla and the original Titan X given generous screen time and feature-film-quality visual effects; critics wrote that the first half of the season moves like a rocket with plenty of Titan set pieces and major plot twists, while the back half slows before introducing a device that delivers poignant emotional turns.

Performances, pacing and the kaiju beats

Reviewers singled out performances from Anna Sawai and Mari Yamamoto as anchors for the season’s emotional core. Several critics described Season 2 as equally action-packed and emotional, noting that the scale feels massive and the writing has matured; others said the season is more character-driven but still needs to propel the kaiju storyline, with some exposition dumps and narrative drops and kaiju fights that are explosive and brutal.

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A brief, unexpected aside

One playful item in the coverage echoed a short poem tied to an IGN Error 418: “Short and stout, this is my handle, this is my spout, ” an offbeat note amid the entertainment and sports headlines.

Critics’ consensus on Monarch Season 2 emphasizes both spectacle and heart — the season was announced months after the first ended, and reviewers say it deepens emotional investment in human and inhuman characters while expanding the MonsterVerse. The next confirmed milestone is the Season 2 premiere on Apple TV on February 27.