The first trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes teases the epic continuation of the franchise all while raising the question of who the main character is and which actor is responsible for bringing them to life. The 2024 film is the fourth installment in the rebooted Planet of the Apes series, set after the core trilogy and taking place years after War for the Planet of the Apes. Across Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and the aforementioned third film, the central character was Caeser, Andy Serkis’ ape leader.
The trilogy depicted Caeser’s journey as the head of a highly-evolved tribe of apes from his early life to his death, played masterfully by Serkis. Caeser’s death, however, begged the question of who would continue the franchise after the announcement of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ story. Despite these questions and new director Wes Ball, it seems Matt Reeves’ Planet of the Apes vision will be completed after the exciting first trailer effectively teased the concept of the fourth film. Alongside revealing hints at the film’s plot, the trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes also revealed Caeser’s – and Andy Serkis’ – replacement.
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Main Ape Character Is Cornelius
As expected by the ending of War for the Planet of the Apes, the main character in the sequel is Cornelius. Cornelius was first introduced in Matt Reeves’ final Apes movie as the infant son of Caeser. Cornelius being the last surviving member of Caeser’s family after the third film’s tragic opening was a big aspect of the latter’s personal journey as he sought a safer home for his son and the rest of his tribe. As of the end of War for the Planet of the Apes, Caeser managed to lead Cornelius and the rest of the apes to an oasis, dying shortly after securing their safety.
The core premise of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and the teaser trailer, solidify the transition of the franchise between Caeser’s story and Cornelius’. This transition is just one of Planet of the Apes 4‘s exciting prospects as Cornelius ventures out into the wider world only to come across an ape tyrant who bans the teachings of Caeser. Exactly where Cornelius’ journey leads remains to be seen, though Caeser’s last surviving family member is undoubtedly the right choice to take the franchise into a new era beyond what was established by Andy Serkis.
Owen Teague Plays Cornelius In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
Concerning who will play Cornelius in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, that task falls to Owen Teague. Teague is a relatively up-and-coming actor yet is primarily known for his performances in The Stand, Inherit the Viper, Bloodline, and Black Mirror season 4, episode 2, “Arkangel.” While it may seem a daunting task to replace Andy Serkis as the motion-capture lead in the Apes franchise, Teague will surely rise to the occasion.
The trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes teases that Teague will give a somewhat different performance than Serkis’ Caeser. The trailer makes it clear that the apes in the franchise have evolved even further, capable of speaking entire, fluent sentences. While Caeser could speak by the third film, he was still portrayed as a man – or more aptly ape – of few words. If the teaser of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is anything to go by, Teague will have the opportunity to give a much more vocal performance than the cast of the original trilogy did.
Will Any Existing Characters Appear In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes?
The final query that Cornelius’ inclusion in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes raises is whether any existing characters from the franchise will appear alongside him. As far as the trailer reveals, no other characters from the previous three movies will make an appearance. It seems the story is positioning Cornelius as venturing out into the world on his own, likely meaning he left behind the ape characters audiences became familiar with from the first three movies.
That said, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes may kickstart a new trilogy for the franchise. This was revealed by Deadline‘s Justin Kroll who stated on Twitter that Disney was overly satisfied with Ball’s script with the studio being hopeful it would lead to a new trilogy. If this turns out to be the case, Cornelius could encounter dangerous enemies on his journey in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes which leads him back to the oasis and Caeser’s apes, therefore heralding the return of some familiar faces going into the franchise’s future.
