Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will launch a new chapter for the sci-fi saga, but will Andy Serkis’ Caesar make an appearance? While it once appeared Tim Burton’s much-maligned Planet of the Apes remake had slain the franchise, it was rebooted to great acclaim thanks to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. This spawned a trilogy of stories fronted by Caesar (Andy Serkis), an evolved ape who leads an uprising against his human oppressors. The trilogy covered Caesar’s origin and struggles with becoming something of a messiah figure to his followers while charting the decline of the human race.
War was one of the bleakest outings in the Planet of the Apes movie franchise, but it closed on a hopeful note too. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will pick up decades on from the events of War, and will – at least, the studio hopes it will – lead to a new trilogy. Director Wes Ball takes over from Matt Reeves for the next chapter, which follows Caesar’s son Cornelius (Owen Teague) in a world where humans have devolved even further and rival ape clans vie for power.
Cornelius Has Replaced Caesar As The Lead In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
While it might be a continuation of the previous trilogy, Caesar won’t be returning for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Caesar died at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes after leading his people to a safe place, and his son Cornelius will be the protagonist for the planned new trilogy. Cornelius himself was very young when his father passed, and dealing with his legacy will no doubt be part of his arc in Kingdom, especially as the story will involve a villain who is trying to suppress Caesar’s teachings.
Caesar Isn’t Confirmed To Be In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (But He Could Still Appear)
All signs point to the new trilogy focusing on a fresh batch of heroes and villains, but that doesn’t mean Caesar can’t appear. Serkis is fond of both Caesar and the franchise, so it’s not hard to imagine he would return for a cameo if approached. Since part of the next film will be dealing with Caesar’s legacy, he could appear in a flashback or even a dream sequence.
This could involve a memory Cornelius has of his late father, or flashbacks to an unseen event from the previous Ape movies. War itself featured a surprise cameo from Toby Kebbell’s Koba, who came to a wounded Caesar during a vision. Just because Serkis hasn’t been confirmed for the sequel, Caesar could easily reappear in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Release Date:
- 2024-05-24
- Director:
- Wes Ball
- Cast:
- Kevin Durand, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, Owen Teague, Eka Darville, Sara Wiseman, Neil Sandilands
- Rating:
- r
- Genres:
- Action, Sci-Fi
- Writers:
- Patrick Aison, Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
- Studio(s):
- 20th Century, Chernin Entertainment, Oddball Entertainment, Shinbone Productions
- Distributor(s):
- 20th Century
- Sequel(s):
- Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes
- prequel(s):
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes
- Franchise(s):
- Planet of the Apes
