Wyatt Russelland fatherKurt Russellmay both portray the same character forMonarch: Legacy of Monsters,but don’t expect to see Wyatt step into any of his father’s past roles. Kurt is a veteran actor whose most notable credits include roles in John Carpenter’sEscape from New York, its sequelEscape from L.A.,The Thing, andBig Trouble in Little China.According to the younger Russell, revisiting those characters for any revival or reboot would be a bad idea. In a recent conversation withComicBook.com, Wyatt was asked about whether he’d want to portray any of his father’s well-known roles (especially given the shared resemblance):
“Everybody’s said that. Part of what made his career so cool is that they were so unique. They have this living, breathing life beyond an opening weekend and that’s only because they’re these incredible ideas. John Carpenter and Kurt Russell and everybody else on those movies created them, and they’re incredibly contained, they’re original ideas, [they weren’t] comic books before. I guess ‘The Thing’was from ‘Who Goes There?‘or whatever. I know people have tried to remake them, I think it’s a bad idea, to be honest.”
Kurt’s had a remarkable career in Hollywood that dates back to the 1960s. For his portrayal of the King of Rock ‘n Roll in 1979’sElvis, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Four years later, he earned a Golden Globe nod for his performance in Mike Nichols’Silkwood. Aside from his collaborations with Carpenter,Kurt’s expansive list of recognizable creditsincludesOverboard(where he co-starred alongside longtime partner and Wyatt’s mother Goldie Hawn),Tango & Cash, Backdraft, Vanilla Sky, Death Proof, Once Upon in Hollywoodand roles in theFast & Furiousfranchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Given that Wyatt’s not keen on reprising his father’s roles, we probably shouldn’t expect him to participate in aPrivate Benjaminreboot, either.
Related:Kurt Russell Responds to Possible Return in Big Trouble in Little China Sequel: “We Could Slap John Carpenter Around a Bit”
Kurt and Wyatt Russell Play Lee Shaw in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Kurt and Wyatt now share the screen for Apple TV+‘sMonarch: Legacy of Monsters. The series follows members of the organization Monarch as they encounter Godzilla and other monsters (known as Titans) over the course of a half-century. Wyatt and Kurtshare the responsibility of portraying different versions of Lee Shaw, a former U.S. Army colonel who becomes involved in Monarch. The two star alongside Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski.
Kurt said the father and son duo welcomed the opportunity to play two different versions of the same character, recently tellingEntertainment Tonight:
“We were being given this opportunity to play the same person, as opposed to the father and son, so we started hammering away at it and saying, ‘Let’s make this good!’ I suddenly found myself saying ‘God, Wyatt’s going to create this character. I’m going to play him later on in life, so it’s all gotta make sense.” He added: “And I suddenly realized, I’ve watched him all my life, but I’ve never examined him.”
Monarch: Legacy of Monstersairs Fridays, through June 30, 2025, on Apple TV+
