Marvel’s new Planet of the Apes series will revisit the continuity of the original film series, serving as a prequel to the 1968 film, starring iconic chimpanzee scientists Cornelius and Zira, as well as the human woman Nova. Beware the Planet of the Apes debuts in January, 2024, with Marvel promising to “explore the storytelling limits of this iconic saga once again.”
According to Marvel’s official announcement, the four-issue limited series will be written by Marc Guggenheim and drawn by “rising star” Álvaro López, and will center on the disappearance of Cornelius and Zira’s nephew, Lucius.
“Into the Forbidden Zone!” Marvel’s announcement proclaims, preparing fans of the Apes franchise to reacclimate themselves to the far-flung future Earth of the series’ original timeline.
Beware Is A Prequel To The Groundbreaking 1968 First Apes Film
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The Planet of the Apes saga spans time and space; Beware of the Planet of the Apes writer Mark Guggenheim described it as, “one of the OG franchises, filled with mystery, fascinating characters, and some truly off-the-wall surprises.” After Charlton Heston’s Taylor obliterated the Planet at the end of 1970’s Beneath the Planet of the Apes, subsequent sequels reinvented the franchise by traveling back in time and becoming an origin story. This left much of the ape-ruled Earth of 3978 AD unexplored in large detail. Now, Marvel’s Beware will be the latest comic to expand on the Planet of the Apes story.
Future Apes Comics Should Go Beyond The Original Movies
There have been other comic book prequels to the 1968 Apes film before Beware of the Planet of the Apes, most notably Boom! Studios series of stories set in the classic film continuity, release between 2011 and 2013. What is particularly interesting about this new venture from Marvel is how it appears set to incorporate elements of – or at least pay homage to – the company’s history with the franchise. In 1974-1975, Marvel Comics adapted the first two Apes films, recently re-released in omnibus form as Adventures of the Planet of the Apes. Marvel’s announcement for Beware includes a quote from Marc Guggenheim teasing the new series ties to Adventures.
I’m particularly excited that we’re going to be reusing some of Doug Moench, George Tuska, and Alfredo Alcala’s original Marvel work […] as part of our storytelling,” Guggenheim revealed, though how the classic Marvel Apes adaptations will factor into the new prequel remain to be seen. In any case, fans of the franchise will be excited that Marvel is returning to the classic film continuity; after reacquiring the rights to Apes at the start of 2023, their first offering was set in the reboot timeline. Now, Beware the Planet of the Apes will expand on the past of the original film, while opening doors to the series’ potential future.
The next logical step for Marvel’s Planet of the Apes line of comics would perhaps be to establish its own timeline, diverging from the events of Beneath the Planet of the Apes. While Beware will reference the company’s adaptation of the 1970 sequel in some way, it doesn’t necessarily need to remain faithful to its plot, or at least its ending. An ape planet that isn’t consumed by an atomic fireball, but instead must reckon with the original film’s revelations about humankind, would be a bold and exciting step forward for the Planet of the Apes franchise, one that Marvel is sure to consider sooner rather than later.
Beware the Planet of the Apes debuts in January, 2024, from Marvel Comics.
