Replacing Caesar Is Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Toughest Challenge

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is continuing the widely praised Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, and the new movie will have the difficult mission of replacing Andy Serkis’ Caesar. Given Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ official announcement followed by a brief synopsis and cast reveals, it seems like Andy Serkis will not be involved in the next Planet of the Apes movie – which makes sense considering that Caesar died at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes. Still, Caesar was synonymous with the 2010s Planet of the Apes trilogy, which sets up a massive challenge for Planet of the Apes 4.

While the original Planet of the Apes films as well as Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes heavily dived into the sci-fi aspect of the story, including time travel and time paradoxes, the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy was much more character-focused. Rise of the Planet of the Apes grounded the story as much as it could, and it made Caesar the center of the story. The 2010s Planet of the Apes trilogy was not about the planet or the war, it was about how that conflict informed Caesar’s journey and vice-versa. A masterfully well-written and portrayed character, Caesar defined Rise, Dawn, and War – meaning that whether Kingdom will work depends on the franchise nailing its next main character.

Who Will Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Main Character Be?

So far, it hasn’t been announced who Planet of the Apes 4’s main character will be, although Owen Teague is confirmed to be playing the movie’s protagonist through motion capture and voice acting (via Deadline). Still, based on War for the Planet of the Apes and the history of the franchise, a safe prediction is that Cornelius could be Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ main character. The only one of Caesar’s sons to survive the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, Cornelius would be old enough in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to sustain a new movie trilogy. Curiously, Cornelius was one of the main characters in the original Planet of the Apes movies, although in that universe he was the father of Caesar.

Planet Of The Apes 4 Shouldn’t Try To Create A New Caesar

Planet of the Apes 4 should aim at having a main character as complex and layered as Caesar was, but it shouldn’t just create a new Caesar. Whether it’s Cornelius or a brand new character, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ next main character should allow the movie to explore different sides of that world and push the story forward instead of just rehashing Caesar’s Planet of the Apes journey. Rise, Dawn, and War each told a part of a larger story, and that is something Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and its potential sequels could try to emulate.

Considering how Planet of the Apes 4 will take place many years after War, the movie could be the original Planet of the Apes movie remake that the 2010s trilogy preferred not to do. Should that be the case, then Cornelius as the new main character would make a lot of sense – and even a new Caesar, who is this time Cornelius’ son. Still, more than continuing Caesar’s bloodline, what Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes really should continue from the previous trilogy is the character-focused approach, whether it is for a new lead only or for large a set of characters.