Apple TV’s 2 New Shared Universes Are Peak Science Fiction

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As a huge fan of sci-fi, I have to say Apple TV+ has become the place to find really smart and well-made shows. They clearly care about the genre, delivering these ambitious, cinematic originals that other streaming services just don’t match. And now, it’s getting even better! They’re expanding two of their biggest hits into full-blown cinematic universes – I can’t wait to see where they take this!

Apple TV+ has two new sci-fi shows in development that build on popular existing series. Star City will explore the world of For All Mankind from the Soviet Union’s point of view, adding a fresh take to the story of the space race. The other show, currently without a title, is a prequel to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and will reveal more about the origins of the Monsterverse during the Cold War.

Apple TV is making a significant shift in its approach to science fiction. While it’s already known for high-quality sci-fi shows, these new series indicate a larger plan: building expansive, immersive science fiction universes. This means offering stories that develop over time with detailed and complex worlds, encouraging viewers to become deeply invested.

Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters & For All Mankind Are Now Franchises At Apple TV

Apple TV Is Turning Two Of Its Biggest Sci-Fi Hits Into Expansive Shared Worlds

Apple TV+ is moving beyond single-season science fiction shows and building out larger franchises. They’re planning spinoffs for both Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and For All Mankind, which means these shows will expand beyond their original stories and connect to create more complex, interconnected universes with multiple timelines and viewpoints.

First up is Star City, a new series connected to For All Mankind. It will tell the story of the space race from the Soviet Union’s perspective, showing how their space program developed while competing with NASA. For All Mankind has already demonstrated how engaging an alternate history can be, and this new show promises even more compelling stories by exploring the same timeline from the Soviet side.

While the Cold War has always been a key part of For All Mankind, the new series Star City puts it front and center. This allows for exciting new characters, intense competition, and incredible technological advancements that completely change the story we thought we knew. By showing things from the Soviet perspective, Star City will expand the world of For All Mankind, making it feel like one complete, sprawling story.

You know, it’s not just the DC universe expanding – the Monsterverse is getting in on the action too! They’re making a prequel series focusing on a younger version of Lee Shaw, the character Wyatt Russell played in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. It’s going to explore how the Monarch organization got started way back during the Cold War, and honestly, that era is perfect for a good conspiracy thriller – we already got a taste of it in the flashbacks, and I’m really excited to see them dive deeper.

In Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, we follow Shaw as an adult uncovering decades-old secrets. The show acts as a prequel, letting us see how the Monarch organization began and how humans first dealt with the massive Titans – and the difficult choices they made while trying to understand them.

These new shows aren’t just bonus content; they’re the start of Apple TV+’s first connected universes, with stories that weave together across different time periods and viewpoints. This is especially exciting for a streaming service already known for high-quality science fiction, as it opens the door to long-running franchises.

This is a smart move by the streamer, showing they really know what their viewers enjoy. Apple TV isn’t trying to follow the latest fads; instead, they’re building on what’s already successful. This careful approach allows both of their popular shows to continue developing, while still maintaining the strong characters and storytelling that made them popular in the first place.

How Apple TV Raised The Bar For Sci-Fi On Television

Premium Budgets And Smart Writing Turned Apple TV Into The Home Of The Best Original Sci-Fi

Apple TV+ has become a major force in science fiction thanks to a deliberate strategy. Starting with shows like For All Mankind in 2019 and continuing with recent hits such as Pluribus, the streaming service has consistently presented its sci-fi series as high-quality, award-worthy television. This approach has resulted in a collection of shows that feel more polished and have bigger budgets than those offered by many other streaming platforms.

One of the first things sci-fi fans often notice about Apple TV+ shows is their high production quality. Shows like the large-scale space opera Foundation, the unsettling corporate thriller Severance, and the tense, confined world of Silo all look and feel like major cinematic productions, not typical television shows.

Look, great visuals are awesome, but they don’t make me stay subscribed to a streaming service. Apple TV gets that, and I really appreciate it. They don’t just throw a ton of flashy, forgettable sci-fi at you. Instead, they seem to really focus on quality over quantity, offering a smaller selection of shows that all feel special and like they have a real reason to exist. It’s a smart approach, and it’s building my loyalty, honestly.

As a film and TV fanatic, I really appreciate what Apple TV+ is doing. They’re not just churning out content for the sake of it; every new show feels special. When they announce a sci-fi drama, you know it’s going to be well-made, with great acting and a story that actually makes you think. What I love most is that they respect their audience; their sci-fi isn’t dumbed down. It tackles big ideas – politics, who we are, what’s right and wrong – and doesn’t shy away from complexity. It’s refreshing!

Apple TV’s science fiction shows are smart and engaging because they trust viewers to keep up with complicated stories and characters. They don’t over-explain things, and they build narratives gradually with nuance and big-budget production values. This approach has established Apple TV as a leading platform for high-quality, original sci-fi.

Apple TV Has A Lot More In Store For Sci-Fi Fans

New Seasons And Ambitious Adaptations Prove Apple’s Sci-Fi Slate Is Only Getting Bigger

Apple TV+ isn’t just building on the success of shows like For All Mankind and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters with spin-offs; it’s planning a much larger push into science fiction television. The company has several other ambitious sci-fi projects in development, suggesting these franchises will be part of a bigger lineup.

Popular shows like Severance, Pluribus, and Dark Matter will be back for new seasons, keeping Apple TV+’s strongest content consistent. Instead of quickly dropping or canceling shows, Apple is committed to developing existing series over time, allowing their stories to unfold for several years.

As a huge sci-fi fan, I’m really excited about the new shows coming out, especially the 10-episode adaptation of William Gibson’s Neuromancer. That novel, from 1984, basically defined cyberpunk and has inspired so much science fiction ever since. If Apple TV does it right – and it sounds like they’re aiming for a big, faithful adaptation – it could be the definitive hacker-future story for them.

Adapting Neuromancer into a TV series is a bold move. The story’s complex setting and thought-provoking themes are a good fit for Apple TV, hinting at a visually impressive and intelligent series – not a watered-down action movie.

With its mix of new shows, beloved classics, and ambitious book-to-screen projects, Apple TV is sending a strong signal: it’s not just experimenting with science fiction – it’s making it a central part of what the platform offers.

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2026-01-30 19:10