Get ready, kaiju fans! After a whopping 63-year absence, a forgotten giant monster might be making a splashy comeback in the MonsterVerse! The success of 2014's Godzilla ignited a thrilling expansion of Legendary's MonsterVerse, quickly going beyond the King of the Monsters to resurrect iconic kaiju from Toho's vast collection. Godzilla: King of the Monsters was a pivotal moment, reintroducing legendary creatures like Mothra and Rodan to a new generation. The film also introduced many other Titans, showing the world was filled with hidden giant monsters. Now, the Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters continues this expansion. By focusing on the human organization dedicated to studying these creatures, the show has the unique opportunity to dive deep into the lore and give screen time to lesser-known kaiju, weaving them into the MonsterVerse's history.
The official synopsis for the second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters hints at a significant new addition to the franchise's monster roster. It describes a storyline involving a “mysterious village where a mythical Titan rises from the sea.” This clue is reinforced by the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 trailer, which features a shot of massive tentacles pulling a ship beneath the waves. Putting these two pieces of information together strongly suggests the return of a specific Toho kaiju, one that has been missing from the screen for over six decades.
Could Season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters feature the Giant Octopus?
The Giant Octopus, affectionately known as Oodako by fans, first appeared in the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla. In its debut, the creature attacks Faro Island, driven by a craving for the special berry juice used in the natives' rituals. This attack sets the stage, demonstrating the dangers of the island before King Kong himself appears to easily defeat the cephalopod. The monster's last appearance was four years later in 1966’s The War of the Gargantuas, where it once again appears at the beginning of the film to attack a fishing trawler, only to be quickly dispatched by the sea-dwelling gargantua, Gaira. In both instances, the Giant Octopus functions more as an environmental threat than a primary antagonist, a dangerous piece of megafauna that establishes the peril of its surroundings before a more significant monster takes the spotlight.
But here's where it gets controversial... A key reason for the Giant Octopus's relative obscurity is that it's far less fantastical than many of its Toho counterparts. Unlike the atomic-breathing Godzilla or the three-headed alien dragon King Ghidorah, Oodako is simply a scaled-up version of a real animal. This grounded nature likely made it less popular over the decades, as it lacked the imaginative traits of other major kaiju. However, this very quality might make it a perfect fit for the more scientifically-grounded world of the MonsterVerse. The franchise has already established a precedent for giant cephalopods with the Mire Squid, which battled Kong in Kong: Skull Island. Furthermore, the legend of the Kraken is a globally recognized myth of a giant tentacled sea monster, making the introduction of a similar Titan in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters a believable addition.
The second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is scheduled to premiere on Apple TV on February 27, 2026.
And this is the part most people miss... The Giant Octopus, while seemingly simple, could bring a unique flavor to the MonsterVerse. Its realistic nature allows for some truly terrifying and plausible scenarios.
Do you think the Giant Octopus is the right choice for a new Titan? Or is there another forgotten monster you'd rather see make its MonsterVerse debut? What are your thoughts on a more 'realistic' kaiju? Share your opinions in the comments below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
