Keeping track of timelines in shared movie universes can be confusing. The Halloween and X-Men series are famous for having lots of reboots and changes. However, the Monsterverse is surprisingly straightforward. Even with seven movies and TV shows, the story hasn’t needed any major retcons or added backstory. Everything progresses logically over about 70 years, with the giant monsters, or Titans, becoming increasingly dangerous. If you’re new to the series and want to watch everything in order, here’s a guide to help you get started.
If you’re following the MonsterVerse movies and shows, here’s the order they were released: Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, the Skull Island anime on Netflix, Season 1 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: Supernova. Let’s take a closer look at where Season 2 of Monarch fits into this timeline.
9) Retro Timeline in Monarch
As a big fan of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, I thought the first season jumped around a lot with its flashbacks – we saw everything from 1952 to 1959! But I’m hearing that Season 2 is going to be tighter, really honing in on the events of 1957. That sounds great – a more focused story is always a good thing, right?
We learn about the younger versions of Bill Randa, Lee Shaw, and Keiko Miura through flashbacks. These scenes show us the nuclear bomb attack intended to destroy Godzilla, which ultimately failed.
Stream Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple TV.
8) The Discovery of Kong
The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 to 1975. The movie Kong: Skull Island is set in 1973, near the very end of the war. We first encounter the character Bill Randa in Kong: Skull Island, played by John Goodman, and later in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters where he’s portrayed by Anders Holm. Goodman also made brief appearances in the first and last episodes of Season 1 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
At the end of the movie, both Tom Hiddleston’s character, James Conrad, and Brie Larson’s Mason Weaver join the Monarch organization, but we haven’t seen them since. However, we have seen what they were shown in cave paintings: a massive battle between Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.
Stream Kong: Skull Island on HBO Max.
7) The Animated Years on Skull Island
The Netflix series Skull Island is the first animated installment in the Monsterverse. It’s set in the early 1990s, roughly 20 years after the events of Kong: Skull Island, placing it around 1993. While the show doesn’t state a specific date, it happens before the comic book series Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, which took place around the time of Kong: Skull Island in 1995.
Stream Skull Island on Netflix.
6) G-Day
Before 2014, a few people, mainly within the organization Monarch, were aware of Godzilla’s existence. However, when Godzilla battled the MUTOs in San Francisco that year, the world found out about him – the secret was out.
This film kicked off the Monsterverse, and it’s arguably the most crucial point in the series’ story. While Kong was initially a secret, Godzilla and the MUTOs immediately made a huge impact, changing life for everyone in the universe and paving the way for even more fantastical and less serious adventures.
5) “Modern” Timeline in Monarch
The second part of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, featuring Kurt Russell as the older Lee Shaw, happened a year after the events of G-Day, meaning it was set in 2015.
The season finale jumps forward two years to 2017, setting the stage for Season 2 of Monarch. Like the first season, it’s set between the events of the Godzilla movie and its 2019 sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. And that leads us to…
4) The Rise of Ghidorah
Similar to the first film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is set in 2019. The movie focuses on Ghidorah’s attempt to become the top Titan, but he’s an alien invader, and doesn’t rightfully belong on Earth. Godzilla and Mothra understand this, though Rodan mistakenly sides with the destructive creature.
While Godzilla: King of the Monsters isn’t the strongest film in the Monsterverse – it can be a bit too serious at times – it successfully establishes a key idea that sets this universe apart. The title ‘King of the Monsters’ isn’t just a way to Americanize the original Gojira; it highlights the natural hierarchy among these giant creatures. There’s a dominant kaiju who essentially protects and guides the others, and they respond when called upon. This concept was crucial, and without it, Godzilla vs. Kong wouldn’t have worked as well, ultimately making it the best film in the series so far.
Stream Godzilla: King of the Monsters on HBO Max.
3) Godzilla, Meet Kong. Kong, Godzilla
The two Godzilla vs. Kong (or Godzilla x Kong) movies are set three years in the future. For example, even though the first film came out in 2021, the story actually takes place in 2024.
Godzilla and Kong clashed in an epic battle for monster supremacy, but they eventually joined forces to defeat Mechagodzilla, which was created using a brain from the three-headed Ghidorah. This film also introduced us to key characters like Jia, played by Kaylee Hottle – arguably the most important human in the Monsterverse – and scientists Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry).
Stream Godzilla vs. Kong on TBS.
2) The Skar King
Similar to Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is set three years after its release. This means events take place in 2027. Following this pattern, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova will be set at the same time that The New Empire’s events occur.
In 2027, Godzilla and Kong battled again, eventually joining forces to fight a new duo, the Skar King and Shimo, with assistance from Suko, a young Kong who emerges as a leader. Now, fans are wondering if the next film will follow the same pattern of releasing years after the events it depicts.
Stream Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on Cinemax.
1) The Supernova Question Mark
The title Godzilla x Kong: Supernova suggests the story might involve space, but it probably won’t jump far into the future. Instead of humans being able to send Godzilla to space like in Invasion of Astro-Monster, it’s more likely that SpaceGodzilla will appear. The movie will probably be set in 2030, just three years after its release.
New episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 will be released weekly on Apple TV+, starting February 27th and continuing through May 1st.
What’s your favorite Monsterverse movie? And which one do you think is the most crucial to the whole series? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-02-21 19:12