How The Colonel Got The Virus In War For The Planet Of The Apes

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for War for the Planet of the Apes!

Summary The Colonel's infection with the mutated virus from Nova's doll adds a new, tragic twist to his character's arc in War for the Planet of the Apes.

The Simian Flu becomes even deadlier in the film, evolving to infect previously immune humans like the Colonel, further decimating humanity.

The battle between Caesar and the Colonel drives the narrative in the critically acclaimed conclusion to the modern Planet of the Apes trilogy.

The Colonel is one of the most interesting characters in War for the Planet of the Apes, and here is how the villain managed to get the virus in the film. The Simian Flu is one of the most significant elements in the modern Planet of the Apes franchise, with it being what led to the end of human civilization. Although the Colonel should have been immune from it, he managed to contract the Simian Flu in War for the Planet of the Apes, leaving many viewers wondering how it happened.

War for the Planet of the Apes is the critically acclaimed conclusion in Matt Reeves' modern Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, with it featuring the end of Caesar's storyline as he once again takes on a tribe of humans bent on the destruction of apes. Although the film mostly focuses on the ape main characters, Woody Harrelson plays the Colonel, a vengeful human who acts as the film's main villain. Much of the movie centers on the battle between Caesar and the Colonel, but Harrelson's character has a surprisingly tragic conclusion to his character arc.

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The Colonel Gets The Mutated Virus From Nova's Doll

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As it turns out, the Colonel gets the mutated virus from a strange place in War for the Planet of the Apes: Nova's doll. Throughout the film, it is known that Nova has become infected with the Simian Flu, with it causing her to go mute. Later in the film, the same doll can be seen in the Colonel's office, with him undoubtedly coming into contact with it and getting sick.

The Simian Flu quickly begins to have drastic effects on the Colonel, with him losing his voice and beginning to become feral. This is a new quality of the mutated virus that makes it even scarier, with nearly every human becoming feral by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' point in the timeline. The Colonel is one of the first humans to become infected with the mutated virus, and it is all thanks to Nova's doll.

Related Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know The Planet of the Apes reboot franchise is getting a fourth film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, courtesy of its new owner, Disney.

Why The Colonel & Other Humans Get The Virus After Being Immune

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The humans that are alive in War for the Planet of the Apes are the few that were immune from the Simian Flu, allowing them to live after the rest of humanity died off. Because of this, it is strange that the Colonel and the other humans all of a sudden became vulnerable to the virus. However, the film does explain this, with War for the Planet of the Apes' Simian Flu mutating into something even more dangerous.

Although Planet of the Apes' Simian Flu remained consistent throughout the first two films, it actually grew stronger over the years. By the time of War for the Planet of the Apes, the virus became able to infect those previously thought to be immune. This led to the infection of the Colonel and other War for the Planet of the Apes characters, dwindling humanity even further.