InDawnof the Planet of the Apes,Koba set a new precedent for all futurePlanet of the Apesvillains, yet the franchise’s most recent enemy is able to do something that Koba never could. ThePlanet of the Apesfilm franchise may have first originated in 1968, but the series has been going strong for decades. The most recent movie,2024’sKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, brought audiences forward in time to a new generation of apesruling the planet. With it, the franchise also brought new opportunities for thePlanet of the Apescast.
At the moment, thePlanet of the Apesfranchise is deeply rooted in the reboot movies. This series began with 2011’sRise of the Planet of the Apesand spawned three sequels. For the first three movies, viewers became invested in the story of Caesar, who fought for apes to live peacefully and separately from humans. Of course, he received pushback from the humans, but also from his own allies, including the fierce ape, Koba.Koba’s betrayal was an astonishing moment in the franchise, but it may be rivaled by another storyline in anupcomingPlanet of the Apesmovie.
Proximus Caesar Can Still Return As The Villain In A Sequel (Which Koba Never Did)
Why Koba Never Returned
InKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,audiences are introduced to the latestPlanet of the Apesvillain, Proximus Caesar. This oppressive ape ruler uses the name of Caesar to control the apes, and more importantly, he intends on gathering human technology to gain even more power. At the end ofKingdom of the Planet of the Apes,Proximus is killedwhen the apes' eagles shove him off a cliff. However,Proximus' role as villain may not be overso soon. Unlike Koba, who died a violent and abrupt death, Proximus may be able to return with a vengeance.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesis the first in a planned trilogy of newPlanet of the Apesmovies.
The main reason why Proximus could return inPlanet of the Apesis that his death doesn’t feel particularly final. Although it is a shocking and bloody attack,no one actually sees Proximus' body after the fall. This opens the door for Proximus to return inPlanet of the Apes 5.Notably, this is quite similar to Koba’s death inDawn of the Planet of the Apes.After taking a horrific fall, Koba is presumed dead — but his breathing can still be heard by audiences. The only difference is, Koba can no longer come back, but Proximus certainly can.
Matt Reeves Considered Bringing Back Koba In War For The Planet Of The Apes
It’s A Good Thing Koba Didn’t Return
Bringing Proximus back in the nextPlanet of the Apeswould be fitting becauseKoba almost returned inWar for the Planet of the Apes.In an interview on theQ&A With Jeff Goldsmithpodcast, director Matt Reeves revealed thathe purposely hinted at Koba surviving at the end ofDawn of the Planet of the Apesso that he could return in the following movie. His original plan was to open the movie with a colony of apes being attacked and Koba being a survivor who joins the human forces to get revenge on Caesar.
Woody Harrelson’s Colonel makes for a fantastic villain, and enough occurred in the third movie that Koba’s return may have felt like too much.
Later, Reeves realized that the idea of Koba surviving his fall was “ridiculous,“and thus, Koba never returned. Although seeing Koba again would have been a wild turn forWar for the Planet of the Apes,it is probably a good thing that the ape stayed dead. Woody Harrelson’s Colonel makes for a fantastic villain, and enough occurred in the third movie that Koba’s return may have felt like too much. Furthermore,Koba’s death brought his storyline to a neat and satisfying ending. Sometimes, it is better to have villains stay dead so that the other characters can move forward.
Proximus Caesar Is Too Interesting Of A Character Not To Return In Kingdom’s Sequel
How Proximus Caesar Should Return
Ultimately, Koba’s return never happened, but Proximus Caesar’s should. After just one movie, it is clear thatProximus is an incredibly interesting character with a lot to offerthe franchise. He is a perfect example of what Caesar was not: a greedy and cruel ruler with no regard for diplomacy. In this way, Proximus is the perfect wild card to throw into the next movie, or perhaps even the one after that. He is charismatic and chaotic enough to make a strong return.
One particularly interesting route thatPlanet of the Apescould take is trying to redeem Proximus. In the earlierPlanet of the Apesmovies, Koba joined Caesar’s side, only to rebel against him later. PerhapsProximus could also learn to become loyal to Noaand the good apes, making him even more likable. Whether he rebels later is up to the filmmakers to decide. Either way, thePlanet of the Apesfranchise would only benefit from bringing back its new villain.
Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes is a multimedia sci-fi franchise that began in 1963 with Pierre Boulle’s novel, which was later adapted into a film in 1968 starring Charlton Heston. The success of the movie led to four sequels, two TV shows, a remake from Tim Burton, and a reboot trilogy. The Planet of the Apes franchise has also seen success in video games and comic books.
