As Matt Reeves rounds off 20th Century Fox’s Apes trilogy with War for the Planet of the Apes, he has once again compared DC’s very own Caped Crusader to Caesar the ape. With Reeves due to start work soon on Batman’s next solo film, aka. the DC Extended Universe’s The Batman, it is no surprise that he has pulled the comparison.
Preparing for the release of War, audiences are excited to see how Reeves plans to end what could be the final chapter in the Apes series, which will once again see Andy Serkis in his motion-capture suit to play the heroic Caesar. Just as Batman is seen as an outcast of his species, Caesar’s willingness to put others before himself has lead to a lifetime of tragedy.
Just as Reeves has grown up with Bruce Wayne and seen the various reboots and remakes of his origin story, we have seen Caesar grow a baby from Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 to the fearless leader in War for the Planet of the Apes. Speaking to Comic Book, Reeves revealed that he sees the lead ape as his very own Capeless Crusader:
“I see this parallel between Caesar and Batman, really, which is this idea of these characters who are grappling with their own struggle and trying to do the right thing in an imperfect world and, so, I do really relate it to that kind of idea.”
Speaking about The Batman, Reeves said that he will begin focusing his efforts on the project soon – and similar to his relationship with Caesar, he is looking to for a way to connect with Bruce Wayne:
“Look, I’m just starting Batman because literally, [War for the Planet of the Apes], as I just said, we finished about a week ago and now we’re publicizing it. So, we haven’t even begun on Batman. For me, what’s always important is to try and find a personal way in. In that way, I do feel like I relate to actors. It’s about understanding emotionally, the way something is.
Although Reeves only helmed two out of the three films, his approach to the Apes series has been a breath of fresh air to a franchise that has been on and off since 1968. Spanning just five years and five films, the original Apes movies starred the likes of Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, before leading into a spin-off TV series. We then had Tim Burton’s reboot, which put Mark Wahlberg in the lead role for 2001’s Planet of the Apes. With a unique take on the Apes universe, Reeves cleverly puts Caesar at the center of the films and lets the humans come in from the edges.
War for the Planet of the Apes pits the growing army of apes against the remnants of human society. We see Woody Harrelson take on the role of the Colonel, who could be the last threat of mankind that the battered apes will face. Aiming to close the book on his tenure with the simians, fans are wondering whether Reeves could do the unthinkable and actually kill off Caesar? Either way, Serkis and Reeves promise to bring another stellar blockbuster about man vs. ape to our screens.
Next: The Batman: Why Matt Reeves is the Perfect Director
Key Release Dates
War for the Planet of the Apes
Release Date:2017-07-14
