Commentary — ‘Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters’ Had An ‘Andor’ Moment
by Frank Martin
Prequels offer a great opportunity to explore previously established characters in new and interesting ways. They open up backstory that the original might have not had the opportunity to explore. This was obviously the thought process behind Andor. As the titular character, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) was bound to be a major focus of the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel series. By contrast, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters was not meant to be explicitly a prequel series for Legendary Pictures’ Monsterverse. But because of where it sits in the fictional timeline, it would undoubtedly have this effect — especially for one of its characters, who previously made their first appearance in a different Monsterverse installment.
Bill Randa (John Goodman) debuted in Kong: Skull Island. He was an eccentric monster hunter who ultimately met his final fate within the confines of the film. Monarch wasn’t specifically made to expand upon his backstory, but in the form of actor Anders Holm he plays a central role in the formation of the Monarch organization. In the series, Randa also has a wife, Dr. Keiko “Kei” Randa (Mari Yamamoto), whom he adores and hunts monsters with. She is eventually lost on a mission he was absent for, causing Randa to spiral into a work-obsessed mania. Years went by and he was completely consumed by the Titans he was hunting until he met his end in the Kong film.
Monarch is in no way a vehicle for Randa the same way Andor is for Cassian. However, there are moments that serve the same purpose. The series is split between two separate timelines, one of which Randa is long dead. So the characters who knew him are only left clues as to his true intentions when they weren’t around. By all accounts, he seemed as if he had lost his mind with his friends and family gone, becoming an eccentric monster hunter who died on Skull Island. The characters eventually learn his quest was not random. He was always in search of his missing wife, and it is his very research which helps Monarch in the present day. So it’s interesting to see the character expanded upon much more fully in a prequel show.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is now streaming on AppleTV.
