Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ New Weapon Pays Off The Defining Moment From The First Prequel Movie

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will feature a new weapon that has a pleasing connection to a significant Caesar moment earlier in the franchise. Set during the later period within the Planet of the Apes movie timeline, the upcoming film in the series will take place approximately 300 years after the events of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes and Caesar’s time as leader. However, Planet of the Apes 4‘s story will feature several nods to the other three movies in the series, including one related to a pivotal moment in Caesar’s story.

Directed by Wes Ball, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will take the franchise in a new direction. While it’s not entirely clear what Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has in store for the franchise, it is known that the film will focus on a new civilization of apes ruled by a ruthless leader determined to weaponize the remnants of human technology. One weapon, in particular, brings to mind a rather significant scene from the first movie involving the original Caesar.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Electric Weapons Are Like What Humans Used When Caesar First Spoke

It Provides A Neat Callback To The First Film

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will feature the powerful ruler of a clan of apes named Proximus Caesar, who, along with a young chimpanzee called Noa, will serve as Caesar’s replacement in the Planet of the Apes franchise. As confirmed by Wes Ball, a big focus of the new film will be the Apes rediscovering electricity, which they will use to develop weapons designed to hunt humans. A recent trailer features shots of apes yielding electric rods that are strangely reminiscent of one seen in the reboot franchise’s first entry, Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes depicts Caesar, the first ape with enhanced intelligence, being forced into captivity and mistreated by workers at the primate shelter. After breaking free of his cage and enhancing the intelligence of the other apes in the shelter, Caesar is confronted by a worker named Dodge (Tom Felton), who attempts to get him back in the case using an electric stun baton. As Dodge goes to strike Caesar, Caesar grabs the baton and defiantly lets out a “No!,” revealing for the first time that he can talk. Caesar later inadvertently kills Dodge using the baton.

The scene of Caesar standing up to the shelter worker is a pivotal moment in the franchise. Not only does it demonstrate that Caesar and the other apes are capable of speaking, but that they refuse to be held captive by humans. The fact that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will see similar electric weapons used by the apes on humans nicely highlights how things have come full circle while also being a pleasing callback to one of the franchise’s most unforgettable moments.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Will Make Caesar’s Replacement More Powerful With Electricity

He’s Expected To Be Different From Caesar In More Ways Than One

Though Caesar kills Dodge by blasting him with water while the shelter worker is holding the electric rod in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it should be noted that he isn’t fully aware of what he is doing. After all, at that point, he is still relatively young and doesn’t completely understand the power of electricity. The expression of guilt and remorse on Caesar’s face after Dodge breathes his last breath reaffirms this. In contrast, it seems Proximus Caesar will be using the electric batons for far more malevolent acts.

Whereas Caesar is shown throughout the reboot trilogy to be critical of humanity, he also tries to understand humans and knows that not every person is bad. His priority was to protect apes, but he’s careful never to sink to humanity’s level. Proximus Caesar, on the other hand, appears to be a far less nuanced character and is shown to dismiss Caesar’s teachings in favor of hunting and enslaving humanity. The electric weapons depicted in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will no doubt play a large and sinister role in Proximus Caesar’s treatment of the surviving humans.