I Was Not Prepared For Caesar's Scene In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Summary Caesar's funeral scene in Kingdom honors his legacy and sets the tone for the movie.

Kingdom revisits Caesar's death to show his impact on future generations and the themes of the film.

The characters in Kingdom echo Caesar's teachings directly and indirectly, with some using his name for personal gain.

Caesar appears in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in a brief yet emotional scene that sets the tone for the rest of the film. None of the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes characters were alive during Caesar’s time, but the newest addition to the Planet of the Apes timeline references Andy Serkis’ characters in many ways. From Proximus Caesar’s name to whether humans and apes can co-exist without war, everything in Kingdom echoed Caesar’s journey.

Andy Serkis’ Caesar was the main character in the previous three Planet of the Apes movies. Caesar’s origin story was told in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, whereas the beginning of the war between apes and humans happened in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. War for the Planet of the Apes would then conclude the trilogy with Caesar’s death, which was revisited in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

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Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Opens With Caesar’s Funeral

Caesar was in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes after all

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Despite most of the moving taking place 300 years after War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes starts with Caesar’s funeral. The scene picks up right from where War had left off, with Maurice and the rest of the group conducting a funeral ceremony for Caesar. Even though Kingdom distanced itself from the previous movies and served as the first chapter of a new story, its opening sequence made it feel like it was a direct sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes in a natural, earnest way.

The newest Planet of the Apes film was about Caesar’s legacy, and how his actions shaped the future of multiple generations of apes.

Caesar died at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes after being shot with an arrow. Although watching Caesar die at the end of the trilogy was sad, he succeeded in protecting his kind and giving them a fresh start after a period of war. Still, seeing Caesar’s funeral in Kingdom was quite emotional and set the tone for the rest of the movie. Caesar’s scene in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was not spoiled by any trailers or TV spots, making it even more special.

Why Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Revisits Caesar’s Death

Caesar’s legacy is still felt many generations later

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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place many generations after the end of the previous trilogy, so it was surprising to have Caesar’s funeral as the movie’s opening scene. However, considering the themes of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, it made sense to start the movie by revisiting Caesar. The newest Planet of the Apes film was about Caesar’s legacy, and how his actions shaped the future of multiple generations of apes. Even those who had never heard about Caesar, such as Noa and his tribe, were affected by the franchise’s previous main character.

Related Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes' Ending Explained: What It Means For The Future Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' ending resolves the main story for Noa, Mae, and Proximus Caesar by also setting up the franchise's future.

Whereas characters like Raka tried to live by Caesar’s teachings based on the stories they had heard, others twisted Caesar’s teachings and used his name for personal gains. That was the case for Proximus Caesar, who positioned himself as Caesar’s successor and argued that all of his actions were in the name of the “first elder.” It was important to start Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes with Caesar’s funeral because the rest of the film would be about how his life and death impacted apes for centuries to come.