Legacy Of Monsters Goes To Axis Mundi, Not Hollow Earth

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters co-creator Chris Black breaks down why the characters end up in Axis Mundi instead of the Hollow Earth. The Hollow Earth has become a hugely important part of Monsterverse lore, with every Kaiju seeming to originate from this hidden world. When Cate, May, and Shaw fell, it seemed likely that they would end up in this hidden world, but instead they landed somewhere else that is just as mysterious and magical.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters finale, Black explained why the characters ended up in Axis Mundi instead of Hollow Earth. He discussed how they needed to be mindful of the feature film plans and how this would fit into the world of the Monsterverse before the next movie hit theaters. Check out Black’s full quote below:

Chris Black: I wouldn’t say we came into conflict, but the only place where we definitely had some discussions was about the Hollow Earth of it all, because it is such an important storytelling arena in the feature films. We had to be careful what we were doing that we weren’t stepping on anything they want to do or giving any spoilers, because our show will have aired in its entirety before the new movie comes out. They wanted to make sure that we communicated with that.

We made some adjustments in what the world was going to be and what the world was going to look like. We created this specific realm that we’re calling Axis Mundi—Matt Fraction came up with that—that is a part of, but distinct from, the Hollow Earth. That was kind of our playground to play in that we felt separated us from the feature storytelling. But I think Hollow Earth, when you see the feature films, is a big enough [place]. If you look at, say, Middle Earth as an example, there’s the Shire, there’s Mordor. There are tons of different places within that world. So, I felt, and I think our partners on the feature side feel that, Hollow Earth is a big enough playground for everybody.

What Axis Mundi Brings To The Monsterverse

Axis Mundi being a separate part of the Hollow Earth has intriguing implications, especially if it is an important part of how many of these monsters travel to the surface world. Axis Mundi also messes with time in a way different from the Hollow Earth, with days in Axis Mundi being the equivalent of years on the surface. This could be part of the explanation for how these ancient creatures have survived as long as they have and how they can travel across the world so quickly.

Axis Mundi seems like a limbo point under the Earth. With Black explaining that it is actually part of Hollow Earth, it also opens the door to questions about what other pocket worlds are part of Hollow Earth. If Axis Mundi has such massive implications for how space and time work in the Monsterverse, there could be other areas with equally strange impacts on the Earth.

This likely means that Axis Mundi won’t come into play in Godzilla x Kong: New Empire when it hits theaters at the end of March. However, if Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is renewed for a second season, the Monsterverse will likely explore the mysteries of Axis Mundi and more intricately connect it to the existing Monsterverse lore surrounding Hollow Earth.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

The Legendary MonsterVerse continues with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a sci-fi action series created for Apple TV+. Set after the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, the series follows two siblings retracing their father’s footsteps to uncover the truth behind their family legacy. What they find sets up a story over three decades and explores the foundations of the mysterious company.