Plans for the villainous ape Koba to return in War for the Planet of the Apes were scrapped, with this development detail being bad news for the return of one Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes character. The newest installment of the Planet of the Apes franchise introduced all kinds of new characters to the series, setting up an exciting cast that can be reused in future films in the all-new trilogy. While there are hopes for one Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes character to return, Koba’s franchise history makes this comeback seem incredibly unlikely.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the highly anticipated continuation of the modern Planet of the Apes movie series, and the exciting new film is out now. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set 300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes and the death of Caesar, with the film focusing on a new ape named Noa who finds companionship with a human named Mae while trying to take down a clan of evil apes who attacked his village, leading him to a terrifying Planet of the Apes villain.

War For The Planet Of The Apes’ Koba Return Was Scrapped (Because It Wouldn’t Make Sense)

He Was Supposed To Come Back

Koba is the main villain of the modern Planet of the Apes trilogy, and while he plays a major role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the franchise made the surprising decision not to bring him back for the final film, War for the Planet of the Apes. Instead, the main antagonist of the trilogy’s conclusion was the Colonel, a human villain set on the destruction of apekind. While the Colonel was a nice change of pace, some War for the Planet of the Apes did miss Koba.

Koba’s story ends at the end of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, with Caesar allowing Koba to fall from a high tower. Koba presumably dies at this moment, but this wasn’t originally the end for the character. In fact, there were plans to bring Koba back for War for the Planet of the Apes, making him the antagonist once again. This was even hinted at in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes‘ credits, in which Koba can be heard breathing at the very end, teasing his return in War for the Planet of the Apes.

However, while working on War for the Planet of the Apes, the filmmakers decided to scrap Koba’s return. This is because Koba’s return seemed too ridiculous for the franchise, with it not making sense that he could have survived a fall from such a height. On top of that, there simply wasn’t much left to do with Koba, causing War for the Planet of the Apes to move on to new things, leaving Koba behind in the second movie.

Proximus Caesar’s Return After Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Would Be Hard To Buy

Koba’s Fate Makes Proximus’ Return Unlikely

Proximus is one of the highlights of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, with many viewers crossing their fingers that he will return in the next Planet of the Apes film. However, Proximus’ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes fate means that his return would be hard to buy, making it unlikely that he will return. In the film, Proximus is last seen being attacked by eagles on top of a cliff, with the birds causing him to fall off and land in the rushing waters far below, implying that the authoritarian villain is dead.

If bringing Koba back in War for the Planet of the Apes was scrapped because his survival was too improbable, then Proximus will definitely face that problem if Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2 tries to bring him back. Even if Proximus survived the initial impact, he would have surely drowned in the water. And even if he somehow managed to swim to safety, he would have to hope he isn’t injured to the point where he can’t climb up the massive cliffside to return to his kingdom.

Why Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Killed Proximus Caesar

It Serves A Big Purpose

Killing Proximus Caesar in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was a necessity, as it was the only way that Noa could really win. Proximus Caesar’s rule over the coastal apes meant that it would be incredibly difficult for Noa and Mae to organize a continued uprising if he were alive. This is because, while Noa and his tribe of eagle breeders do work together to take down Proximus, there are a lot of apes that would stay loyal to him. Thus, Proximus would simply direct them to find Noa and seek revenge, making a peaceful life impossible.

On top of that, killing off Proximus Caesar serves a thematic purpose, with it reflecting the death of Koba. Although Proximus claims to be carrying on the words of Caesar, he is much more like Koba, as their villainous ideologies line up almost perfectly. So, having Noa knock Proximus off of the cliff mirrors Caesar letting Koba fall off of the tower, signaling who Caesar’s true successor is.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Sequel Will Need New Villains

Proximus Needs To Be Replaced

Since Proximus Caesar is almost certainly dead at the end of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the new trilogy will need some new villains. Luckily, plenty of classic Planet of the Apes villains can return for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2, as all kinds of threats from the original series haven’t been reintroduced to the modern movies yet. Ape villains like General Aldo could serve a similar role to Proximus, with them leading their own kingdoms across the planet of the apes.

It is also possible that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 2 could switch to focus on human villains, such as the underground humans that Mae meets at the end of the film. The films could also introduce the mutants, bringing back the psychic villains from the original series. It is also possible that a sequel to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes could come up with some new villains entirely, carrying on the franchise’s legacy with some new faces and names.