Who does John Goodman play in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters?’

Apple TV Plus’ Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is here to finally fill in the gaps between 2014’s Godzilla and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. If you’re confused about the timeline of Legendary Entertain’s MonsterVerse, we’ll just skip the pleasantries and direct you to this watch order guide. 

With that out of the way, it’s time to get excited for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the 10-episode Apple TV Plus series set to premiere on Friday, Nov. 17. It will span over 50 years, taking place both in the 1950s and half a century later after San Francisco is leveled by the destructive battle between Godzilla the Titans. This time around, Army officer Lee Shaw (played by both Kurt Russel and Wyatt Russel) has some intel on the multinational organization Monarch that could threaten its existence. 

Spanning a three-generational timeline, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is set to feature a plethora of new and returning faces. One in particular, John Goodman, is featured heavily in the trailer, and, given the premise of the series, those familiar with Kong: Skull Island probably know why. 

John Goodman’s character in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

But wait, I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t John Goodman’s character, William Randa, die in Kong: Skull Island? Yes, he did. But no one ever said he couldn’t come back. 

Cool your jets, I’m not talking about coming back from the dead. Based on the Legacy of Monsters’ trailer, is clear Goodman will only return in the form of flashbacks, but given Randa’s association with Monarch, the insights he provides will probably prove to be a cardinal piece of the show’s puzzle. 

As you will recall from Skull Island, Randa is (or was) a senior operative at Monarch, spending 30 years conducting research on the existence of monsters. In Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, he appears to Kurt Russel’s Lee Shaw in the form of a recorded video apologizing for his mistakes and expressing hope that he can leave behind a “legacy.” 

The legacy he speaks of undoubtedly rests upon the 30 years of research he conducted while working at Monarch. During that time, there’s no question he uncovered more than a few useful bits of information on the multinational organization; information that will surely play a part in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.