Planet Of The Apes Still Needs To Tell 1 Caesar Story Kingdom Skipped Over

Summary "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes skips over Cornelius' story, leaving a major character arc unexplored in the franchise."

"Director Wes Ball chose to focus on a new protagonist, Noa, rather than tracing Caesar's legacy through Cornelius."

"The future teased by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' ending risks undoing great villain changes from earlier entries in the franchise."

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes glossed over a major storyline in the Planet of the Apes universe, leaving the series with a story still to tell. Following up the beloved film War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes decided to jump centuries into the future, after all the characters in the previous films have passed on. While Caesar died in War for the Planet of the Apes, other characters like Maurice and Caesar’s son Cornelius lived on but nonetheless are ignored in the main storyline of Kingdom.

This time jump does not by any means indicate that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' story has forgotten about the previous three films. Rather, the story actively references past actions — specifically those of former protagonist Caesar — as drivers for the current state of affairs. The primate villain is now Proximus Caesar, who distorts Caesar’s legacy into a fury much more dominating and imperialistic as he attempts to maintain control over the land. Though Caesar’s memory connects Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes to the rest of the Planet of the Apes franchise, the film still neglects one key character arc.

Related Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Ending Risks Undoing The Franchise's Great Villain Change The future teased by Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ ending risks undoing great villain changes from earlier entries in the franchise.

Why Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Skipped Over Cornelius' Story

Wes Ball Wanted to Set Kingdom Apart

Close

Having already passed, Cornelius, Caesar’s son, is not part of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' cast, but neither does Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes mentions anything about his life and legacy. Cornelius is born in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and is seen again in War for the Planet of the Apes. Originally, it was speculated that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes would trace Caesar’s legacy through the story of Cornelius, showing his life after his father’s death. Instead,the Apes sequel chose to focus on a new protagonist, Noa, and tell a new story.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes did not do this thoughtlessly. Director Wes Ball had a cogent reason for this story decision, saying in an interview with Gamesradar that he and his team felt it right to “start fresh with what was very strong roots,” and get some temporal space from Rise, Dawn, and War. That said, Ball is not completely close-minded to exploring the story of Cornelius, saying that “there’s certainly room for someone somewhere to do some of that story,” suggesting that Cornelius’ story is viable for exploration.

Cornelius' Life After Caesar's Death Is Still Worth Telling After Kingdom

Cornelius' Story Could Factor Into Existing Kingdom Themes

Whether Ball himself wants to incorporate Cornelius remains unclear, but the Planet of the Apes franchise should still find a way to include Cornelius regardless of whether that comes via Ball or not. The young ape is just getting his life started in War for the Planet of the Apes, and he is the last surviving heir of Caesar after the death of his older brother Blue Eyes. As a result, how Cornelius experiences his life after his father’s death, surrounded by so many that love him, would be a great story to explore.

The way that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes plays out further highlights why Cornelius should be included. Even generations and generations post-mortem, Caesar is hailed as a venerable sage. One can only imagine how much of a martyr Caesar became in the immediate wake of his passing. Cornelius must have faced a great deal of pressure in trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, which creates a potentially fascinating driver for a great character arc.

Another element of Kingdom that would justify including Cornelius’ narrative is the manner in which Caesar’s legacy is twisted in Ball’s film. While Proximus Caesar claims to worship the fallen War protagonist, characters like Raka, and later Noa, recognize how Proximus has altered the ape’s messaging. Though Caesar’s true motivations could have been lost in translation over the decades and then centuries between War for the Planet of the Apes and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, it would be interesting to see if this legacy misinterpretation originated in the Cornelius era.

How Planet Of The Apes Can Still Use Cornelius After Kingdom's Time Jump

Cornelius Could Be Incorporated In Several Ways

Even though the new Planet of the Apes movies are set years in the future, it is not too late to bring Cornelius back to the franchise. An easy way to accomplish this inclusion would be to include a prologue in the next film that features his story. This prologue could take the form of a narrated Cornelius montage or a more extended scene with Caesar’s son, showing the character in action in the aftermath of his father’s death. A film decision like this would serve to help the next Apes film connect to the rest of the franchise.

There are also ways that the Planet of the Apes franchise could incorporate Cornelius into the lore within the universe. For example, it is known that Raka belonged to a group called the Order of Caesar. Cornelius could be a founding member of this Order, or have influenced its founding in some way. This could bring Cornelius back off-screen by way of mention, or launch the film into a flashback. Whatever way a post-Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes franchise film does it, bringing Cornelius back should be a story priority.