One of the two showrunners for Netflix’s brilliant biographical crime drama anthology television series “Monster” has teased which real-life serial killers are being considered as subjects for future seasons of the show.
Ian Brennan, 48, created “Monster” along with fellow showrunner Ryan Murphy, 60. The show’s fourth season, “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,” premiered on Netflix on Thursday, September 17. As the title suggests, the new season focuses on murder suspect Lizzie Borden. Played by Ella Beatty (the daughter of Annette Bening and Warren Beatty), Borden was tried and acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother with an ax in 1892.
Previous seasons have focused on Jeffrey Dahmer (played by Evan Peters), Lyle and Erik Menendez (played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch), and Ed Gein (played by Charlie Hunnam, who returns to the series for season 4 playing Lizzie’s father, Andrew Borden).
Now, in a chat with People, Brennan reveals the infamous criminals and suspects under consideration as the potential focus for seasons 5 and beyond.
Ted Bundy & Luigi Mangione Are Among the Possible Subjects
When asked by People which infamous individuals he and his colleagues had considered for future seasons of “Monster,” Ian Brennan provided a list of names.
He told the publication, “God, there’s so many. We’ve talked about BTK (Dennis Rader). [He] is a fascinating one… Ted Bundy, Green River Killer… We’ve toyed with Luigi Mangione, who is fascinating.”
People’s article about it then goes on to explain about each of those individuals. They describe how Rader, known as the BTK killer, pleaded guilty to 10 murders in 2005 and received multiple life sentences.
Ted Bundy is by far the most high-profile case of those mentioned. He was convicted of multiple murders and confessed to dozens of killings before being executed for his crimes in 1989.
Gary Ridgway, who became known as the Green River Killer, pleaded guilty to a staggering 49 murders between 1982 and 1998 .
Finally, in August 2026, Mangione pleaded guilty in federal court to two stalking charges resulting in death in connection with the December 2024 killing of Brian Thompson. Thompson was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
Brennan Explained the Thought Process Behind Choosing a ‘Monster’ Subject
Ian Brennan also gave a little insight into the thought process that goes into choosing a subject to become the focus of a season of “Monster.”
Brennan said, “That’s what’s so tricky about the show is finding a subject matter that you can spend 10 hours with. It’s one thing to watch a movie about something, to spend 90 minutes in the head of someone, but six or seven hours is a whole other thing.”
He added, “That’s the most curious part of this process is trying to land on something that Ryan and I both find worth the effort and worth the time. It’s so interesting how few stories really fit this anthology. I continue to be fascinated by that fact. It’s really, really tricky to find something that you want to explore deeper.”
True crime fans are undoubtedly excited to learn which of the above-mentioned individuals, if any, feature in season 5.
‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ Is Receiving Mixed Reviews
Following its release on Thursday, September 17, “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” is receiving mixed reviews.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, its synopsis is as follows: “Trapped in a cruel Victorian-era household, Lizzie Borden kills her parents in a gory ax murder that shocks the nation.”
This season’s approval rating from critics on the site is a mediocre 50%. Its fan approval rating is a disappointing 27%.
Per IMDb, in addition to the aforementioned Ella Beatty and Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’s” cast includes Rebecca Hall, Jessica Barden, Joey Pollari, Billie Lourd, Sarah Paulson, and Oliver Spenceman.
Regardless of the critical consensus, it’s well worth checking out, and you can do so on Netflix right now.
Moreover, we can’t wait to find out more details about future seasons of the show.
Ian Brennan’s filmography info was courtesy of IMDb.
