The Monsterverse, Legendary Pictures’ ambitious cinematic universe, has successfully resurrected iconic Kaiju like Godzilla and King Kong, weaving them into a complex, interconnected narrative. It’s not just a collection of monster brawls; it’s a meticulously crafted history spanning billions of years. It uncovers ancient civilizations, hollow earth ecosystems, and humanity’s fragile relationship with these colossal Titans.
For fans looking to truly grasp the overarching story, understanding the chronological sequence of events is crucial. This isn’t just about the cinematic blockbusters. To get the full picture, we must dive into the live-action series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023), the animated Skull Island (2023) series, and the canonical graphic novels that bridge the gaps between the films.
This comprehensive, ultimate guide breaks down the complete Monsterverse timeline, exploring everything from the primordial origins of the Titans to the latest, earth-shattering clashes in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024).
The Dawn of Titans: Prehistory and the Ancient World
The Monsterverse doesn’t start in the modern era; its roots stretch back to the dawn of the Earth itself. The timeline establishes that Titans are not aberrations or mere mutations, but the planet’s original, dominant lifeforms.
The Primordial Era (Billions of Years Ago)
Long before humanity took its first steps, the Earth’s surface was highly radioactive. This ambient radiation fueled the massive ecosystems of the Titans. During this era, creatures like Godzilla’s reptilian species and the ancestral giant apes (the Kongs) roamed freely, serving as apex predators and maintaining the planet’s natural balance.
The Hollow Earth, a massive subterranean ecosystem near the Earth’s core, served as the primary habitat for many Titans. This hidden world sustained them with immense geothermal and radioactive energy. However, as the Earth’s surface radiation levels naturally plummeted over millions of years, many surface-dwelling Titans were forced into hibernation or retreated deeper into the Hollow Earth to survive, entering a long, undisturbed slumber.
Ancient Civilizations and the Great Titan War
Humanity eventually emerged, and early civilizations coexisted—often uneasily—with the remaining active Titans. Evidence of this coexistence is scattered throughout Monsterverse lore.
- The Submerged City: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) reveals the stunning ruins of an advanced, ancient human civilization deep underwater. This society seemingly worshipped Godzilla and other Titans as living gods, constructing massive, intricate temples in their honor before being swallowed by the sea, possibly due to a cataclysmic geological or Titan-related event.
- The Hollow Earth War: A pivotal event in ancient history was a massive, devastating war between the Kong species and Godzilla’s species. The origins of the conflict remain murky, but it involved territorial disputes over the Hollow Earth’s energy sources. The Kongs eventually lost this war. A small faction was forced to flee through subterranean tunnels to the surface, eventually settling on Skull Island. This deep-seated, genetic rivalry echoes into the modern era.
- The Iwi on Skull Island: The Iwi tribe, an ancient human civilization, arrived on Skull Island, a perilous, perpetually storm-shrouded landmass. They formed a symbiotic relationship with the resident Kongs, viewing them as divine protectors against the island’s hostile, subterranean fauna, particularly the voracious Skullcrawlers.
The Arrival of Ghidorah (Unspecified Ancient Era)
The natural order of the Earth was violently disrupted by the arrival of King Ghidorah (also known as Monster Zero), an extraterrestrial, three-headed Titan. Described in ancient texts as “a falling star,” Ghidorah was an invasive species whose very presence threatened the planet’s ecosystem. A colossal, world-shaking battle ensued between Ghidorah and Godzilla (often aided by Mothra). Ultimately, Godzilla triumphed, sealing Ghidorah beneath the impenetrable ice of Antarctica, where the alien Titan remained frozen for millennia.
The Birth of Monarch: 1940s – 1950s
The modern era of the Monsterverse begins as humanity forcefully rediscovers the existence of Titans, leading to the creation of a highly secretive organization dedicated to studying—and surviving—them. This era is heavily detailed in the Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023).
1943: The U.S.S. Lawton Incident
During World War II, an American naval vessel, the U.S.S. Lawton, was destroyed in the Pacific Ocean. The official cover story blamed enemy fire, but a young survivor, William Randa, claimed a massive, unknown aquatic creature was responsible. This incident planted the seeds for his lifelong obsession with “Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms” (MUTOs).
1946: The Foundation of Monarch
Following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, global nuclear testing inadvertently awakened ancient dormant creatures (as seen in the Godzilla: Awakening (2014) comic). Recognizing the potential apocalyptic threat, U.S. President Harry Truman secretly established Monarch. This clandestine organization was tasked with discovering, studying, and keeping the existence of Titans hidden from the public.
1952-1955: Early Investigations and Operation Hourglass
The series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023) fleshes out this crucial period. William Randa teams up with Japanese scientist Dr. Keiko Miura and U.S. Army Colonel Lee Shaw.
- 1952: The trio investigates anomalous radiation in the Philippines, discovering a massive, ancient Titan (the Ion Dragon) and the wreck of the U.S.S. Lawton deeply inland.
- 1954 (The Awakening): The American nuclear submarine USS Nautilus encounters Godzilla. Under the guise of continued nuclear testing, the US military launches the “Castle Bravo” hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll. It was not a test; it was an attempt to kill Godzilla. The attack failed, but Godzilla retreated into the depths.
- 1955 (Operation Hourglass): Monarch discovers a rift leading to Axis Mundi, a strange, localized realm existing between the surface and the Hollow Earth. During an expedition, Dr. Keiko Miura tragically falls into the rift and is presumed dead, deeply fracturing the founding trio of Monarch.
1959: Lee Shaw’s Sacrifice
Colonel Lee Shaw leads a desperate follow-up mission into Axis Mundi to find Keiko. The mission is a disaster. Shaw is sucked into the rift, leaving William Randa as the sole remaining founder on the surface, pushing Monarch into a more militarized, bureaucratic direction. (Due to time dilation in Axis Mundi, Shaw does not age normally).
Discovery and Expansion: The 1970s – 1990s
The Cold War era saw Monarch expand its operations globally, utilizing new technology to make significant discoveries that changed their understanding of the planet.
1973: Kong: Skull Island
The film Kong: Skull Island (2017) marks a major turning point. William Randa, now a senior Monarch official, uses the advent of satellite imaging (the Landsat program) to secure military escort for an expedition to Skull Island.
The expedition, escorted by the Sky Devils helicopter squadron, turns disastrous. The dropping of seismic explosives awakens the island’s protector, a young, growing Kong. Kong decimates the helicopters. The survivors discover the indigenous Iwi people and a stranded WWII pilot, Hank Marlow. They learn Kong is a guardian protecting the world from the subterranean Skullcrawlers. After a brutal battle where Kong defeats the Alpha Skullcrawler (“The Big One”), the surviving humans are rescued. Monarch confirms a wider, terrifying ecosystem exists beyond Kong.
1982: Shaw’s Return
Lee Shaw emerges from Axis Mundi in Japan. Despite decades passing on the surface, he has barely aged a few years. Monarch, fearing his knowledge and unaged state, places him under indefinite house arrest at a retirement facility.
The 1990s: Skull Island (Animated Series)
The Netflix animated series Skull Island (2023) takes place during this era. It follows a group of well-meaning explorers and a team of ruthless mercenaries who wash up on the island. The series showcases Kong in his prime teenage years, fiercely defending his territory against both human incursions and bizarre island fauna, further establishing his role as the undisputed king of his island ecosystem.
1999: The Janjira Disaster
The late 90s brought tragedy. A Monarch team, including Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, investigates a collapsed uranium mine in the Philippines. They discover the massive skeleton of a Godzilla-like creature and two parasitic spores. One hatches, leaving a massive trail to the ocean.
This creature, a male MUTO, travels to Janjira, Japan, seeking radioactive food. It attacks the nuclear power plant, causing a catastrophic meltdown. Joe Brody, an engineer, loses his wife. The event is covered up, and Monarch secretly builds a massive containment facility over the ruined reactor to study the male MUTO as it enters a chrysalis state.
The Age of Monsters: 2014 – 2015
The modern era sees the Titans emerging from the shadows, forever altering human history. We refer to this pivotal moment as G-Day.
2014: Godzilla (G-Day)
Fifteen years after Janjira, Joe Brody and his son, Ford, uncover Monarch’s secret facility. The male MUTO emerges, destroys the facility, and escapes. Simultaneously, the second spore from 1999 hatches in Nevada into a larger, female MUTO.
The emergence of the MUTOs awakens Godzilla, who acts as the planet’s immune system seeking to restore balance. The conflict culminates in a devastating battle in San Francisco. Godzilla successfully kills both MUTOs, cementing his role as the Alpha Titan, and returns to the sea. The world is now terrifyingly aware of the Titans.
Shortly after San Francisco, the comic Godzilla: Aftershock (2019) takes place, where Godzilla battles MUTO Prime, an ancient, powerful variant that causes devastating earthquakes. Godzilla barely survives but defeats the creature, shattering his dorsal plates (which slowly regrow).
2015: The Aftermath
In the direct aftermath of G-Day, the world is in chaos, as depicted in the present-day timeline of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023). Cate Randa (William Randa’s granddaughter) travels to Tokyo to settle her presumed-dead father’s affairs. She discovers a secret half-brother, Kentaro, and a web of secrets connecting their family to Monarch.
They locate the elderly Lee Shaw and embark on a globe-trotting mission to uncover Monarch’s buried secrets. This journey leads them to discover the origins of Apex Cybernetics (a tech company with sinister motives regarding Titans). Eventually, they fall into Axis Mundi, reuniting with Keiko (who hasn’t aged due to time dilation) and escaping back to the surface, landing in the year 2017 on Skull Island, directly into an Apex/Monarch facility.
The King and The Hollow Earth: 2019 – Present
With the existence of Titans public, factions arise to either control, destroy, or coexist with them. The stakes reach global proportions.
2019: Godzilla: King of the Monsters
In Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Monarch faces intense government pressure to destroy the creatures. Eco-terrorist Alan Jonah, aided by a disillusioned Monarch scientist, Dr. Emma Russell, uses the “Orca” (a Titan communication device) to awaken King Ghidorah in Antarctica.
Ghidorah, an invasive Alpha, awakens Titans globally (including Rodan and Scylla) to terraform the planet. A massive, globetrotting battle ensues. Dr. Serizawa sacrifices himself to revitalize a weakened Godzilla with a nuclear warhead. In the ruins of Boston, a supercharged Godzilla, aided by Mothra’s sacrifice, obliterates King Ghidorah. The remaining Titans bow to Godzilla, acknowledging him as the undisputed King of the Monsters.
(Following this, the comics Godzilla: Dominion (2021) and Kingdom Kong (2021) show Godzilla patrolling the earth to put unruly Titans back to sleep, while Kong battles the bat-like Titan Camazotz on Skull Island, a battle that coincides with a devastating storm that ruins the island’s ecosystem.)
2024: Godzilla vs. Kong
As seen in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), with Skull Island uninhabitable, Monarch contains a fully grown Kong in a massive dome. Meanwhile, Godzilla inexplicably begins attacking Apex Cybernetics facilities.
Apex hires scientists to lead an expedition into the Hollow Earth to find a massive energy source, using Kong as a guide. Godzilla attacks Kong’s transport convoy, sensing a rival Alpha. Kong survives, and the team successfully enters the Hollow Earth, discovering an ancestral Kong throne room.
Apex Cybernetics reveals their true plan: Mechagodzilla, a robotic Titan powered by Hollow Earth energy and the neural networks of a surviving Ghidorah skull. Mechagodzilla goes rogue. Godzilla is nearly killed, but Kong aids him. Together, they destroy Mechagodzilla. A truce is established: Godzilla rules the Surface, while Kong rules the Hollow Earth.
2027: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
The fragile peace shatters in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) when a mysterious signal emanates from the unexplored depths of the Hollow Earth. This signal agitates Godzilla, who begins absorbing immense amounts of radiation across the globe to prepare for war.
In the Hollow Earth, Kong discovers he is not alone. He encounters a tyrannical, ancient ape Titan named the Skar King, who rules over an enslaved population of great apes. The Skar King controls Shimo, an ancient, incredibly powerful ice Titan capable of causing a new Ice Age.
The Skar King seeks to conquer the surface world. Kong, outmatched, forms an uneasy alliance with a supercharged, evolved Godzilla. The epic confrontation leads to a massive battle in Rio de Janeiro. Godzilla and Kong successfully defeat the Skar King, freeing Shimo and the enslaved apes, cementing a new era of balance for both the surface and the Hollow Earth.
A Universe Still Expanding
The Monsterverse timeline is a masterclass in modern cinematic world-building. By weaving live-action blockbusters, compelling television dramas like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023), and expansive graphic novels, Legendary has created a sprawling mythology. It is no longer just about giant monsters fighting; it’s a deep dive into ancient lore, generational trauma, and humanity’s terrifying realization that we are but tenants on a planet truly owned by gods. As the franchise continues to evolve, one thing remains clear: the history of the Titans is far from over.
