Freya Allan’s Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Character Was Not What I Was Waiting For

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Summary Mae in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes breaks the mold of previous human leads, showing moral complexity and deception.

Mae's backstory in the film is intentionally unclear, adding to her mysterious and captivating character development.

Freya Allan's portrayal of Mae sets her up as a compelling character with unresolved conflicts, making her a strong candidate for future sequels.

Freya Allan’s character Mae goes through character development and plot twists in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes that provide a positive surprise. The most recent addition to the Planet of the Apes franchise has hit movie theaters, expanding upon the world set up in the prequel trilogy, albeit 300 years in the future. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes introduces new characters to the forefront including the ape Noa and the human Mae.

When the trailer came out for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mae seemed like an intelligent but uncivilized human who would be on the run from Proximus Caesar. Based on the trends of past human heroes in the franchise, she would undoubtedly become a friend to Noa, even if she initially seemed scared of apes. However, the movie shows Freya Allan’s Mae to be very different in ways that are both surprising and captivating.

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Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Mae Was Different From Previous Human Leads

Mae Is Nothing Like Will, Malcolm, Nova, or Colonel McCullough

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The character Mae initially appears frightened and feral, but she becomes a human character unlike anything seen in previous human leads within the Planet of the Apes movies. Will, Malcolm, and Nova from the prequel trilogy were all friendly towards the ape once they let their guards down. They all became respectful towards the apes, even coming to their defense. The protagonists pushed the idea that everyone can work together, no matter the differences. In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mae shows that humans can be morally complex and untrustworthy.

Mae simply wants to take care of her people – just like Noa wants to protect his clan from Proximus Caesar – even if it means alienating the only apes who care about her.

Mae has her own agenda, putting her needs and the needs of humans ahead of possible alliances with the apes. She knows exactly how to manipulate the trust of Raka and Noa. In a world where humans are like animals, she uses what little she has in order to achieve her own goals. However, she isn’t unnecessarily cruel like Colonel McCullough, either. Mae simply wants to take care of her people – just like Noa wants to protect his clan from Proximus Caesar – even if it means alienating the only apes who care about her.

Mae’s Backstory & Plan In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Explained

Mae's Backstory Is Intentionally Unclear Due To Her Deception

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In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mae’s backstory is largely a mystery because she is an unreliable narrator. Her only interactions are with apes that she doesn’t trust and to whom she is actively lying. Her claims that her group was taken by Proximus Caesar to the coastal area are proven false by the end of the movie, so it’s unclear within the story how exactly she got to the point where she met Raka and Noa.

Because she was alone, Mae decided to remain silent – a skill she says she was taught to stay alive – and follow Noa to get to Proximus Caesar’s society safely.

However, actress Freya Allan revealed Mae’s cut backstory, which explains many of her actions and motivations. Mae was part of a band of humans who were killed by Proximus Caesar’s apes. She was left out in the wilderness alone with just her mission to obtain a SATCOM key from inside a military vault while being chased by Proximus’ hunters. Because she was alone, Mae decided to remain silent – a skill she says she was taught to stay alive – and follow Noa to get to Proximus Caesar’s society safely.

Related 7 Ways Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Sets Up A Sequel & New Trilogy Set many generations after Caesar’s story, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has its own story to tell, and it hints that there could be much more.

This leads up to the point where Mae is introduced in the movie. Once outside the vault, she convinces Noa and his friends to help her break into the vault, telling them that she is getting a book that will allow humans to speak again. As a failsafe, she also sets up explosives to break down the seawalls so that she can destroy everything inside the vault, rather than letting the apes get ahold of the technology and weapons.

Why Freya Allan’s Mae Should Be In The Next Planet Of The Apes Movie

Mae Is A Complex Character Who Is Interesting To Watch

The Planet of the Apes franchise has a tradition of replacing the lead human in every movie, but they should break the rule for Freya Allan’s Mae. The ending of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes reveals her meeting back up with Noa, holding a gun behind her back. While she doesn’t use it, it’s clear that she feels conflicted feelings towards the apes. It would be a missed opportunity to end her story on that note as her character arc feels unresolved.

Related 10 Franchise Storylines That Can Be Explored In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes 2 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the start of a new trilogy, and the movie sets up the return of these 10 storylines from the series.

Additionally, Mae would be a great character to follow as the conflict between humans and apes ramps up again. She had a direct hand in getting communications back up, making her relevant to future plots. Her moral ambiguity makes her fascinating and compelling to watch. She also had a positive hands-on experience with apes that other humans might not have in this part of the Planet of the Apes timeline. As such, she would be a good touchpoint for the audiences, who get a more positive view of the apes.