In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, it is clear that humans are not done fighting against the apes, which implies that the new Planet of the Apes era is far from reaching its expected end goal. As far as sci-fi franchises go, Planet of the Apes is one of the longest running. The series began in 1968 and resulted in five main movies. Then, in 2011, Planet of the Apes returned with a new era of films, four so far, that seem to show the origin story of the тιтular planet.

These days, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its sequels have successfully set themselves apart from the original Planet of the Apes movies. The new films focus on entirely new characters, and a version of Earth that is far different from what is shown in the earlier movies. However, audiences are expecting the two film series to connect eventually. In particular, Planet of the Apes’ iconic Statue of Liberty twist will signal that the new Planet of the Apes has finally caught up with the old. The only question is when this will actually happen.

The Next Planet Of The Apes Movie Will Still Have Intelligent Humans

How Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Drastically Changed Humans

Although Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brought viewers much closer to the Statue of Liberty twist, the movie and its sequel are not giving up on humans just yet. The film’s main human character, Mae, proves that there are still intelligent humans on Earth. She can speak, think logically, and has not resorted to an entirely primitive state. More importantly, though, Mae lets audiences know that humans aren’t ready to surrender to the apes just yet. They hold a grudge against the apes, and they’re willing to rise up once again.

Mae’s intelligence and ferocity come as a bit of a surprise in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. At first glance, the movie’s generational time jump makes it seem as though it is close to the timeline of the original Planet of the Apes. Human life seems to be almost completely vanquished, and ape communities are now the norm. However, Mae proves that wiping out humans will not be as simple as a time jump. Arguably, this was a great move for the franchise to make because it teases audiences and keeps the story going in an interesting way.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Ending Means Humans Have A Chance To Fight Back

How The Next Planet Of The Apes Will Refresh The Apes Vs. Human Fight

The biggest clue about the state of the humans in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes at the very end of the movie. After successfully defeating Proximus, Noa and Mae part ways as hesitant allies. Noa returns to his village to rebuild, yet Mae’s plans seem much more nefarious. At the end of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Mae finds herself in a human settlement that seems to have somewhat advanced technology. The implication is that the humans are regrouping and intend to launch an attack on the apes in the near future.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ ending is both shocking and expected. The entire point of the franchise is the difficult relationship between the apes and the humans, so the new movies could not get rid of the humans altogether. However, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes does refresh this ongoing battle by showing that the humans are outnumbered, yet are developing technology that the apes simply won’t have. In this way, Mae’s ending shows that the next ape versus human encounter will be different from what was shown in War for the Planet of the Apes.

Apes Had Long Taken Over The World In The Original Planet Of The Apes Movie

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Has A Different Story To Tell

It is obvious that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is far from the timeline of the original movie because, in the 1968 version, the apes had taken over the world completely and for a long time. In some ways, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes hints at this by showing a herd of primitive humans that Proximus harᴀsses. Yet, Mae’s character is the key that proves that human and ape relations aren’t completely set in stone. She shows that humans are not going to be completely decimated, especially knowing the history of how Earth used to be.

Although some may be disappointed that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes isn’t bringing the franchise full circle, the movie actually introduces a lot of new concepts that are far more exciting than just human and ape relations. For example, Proximus shows that even though apes have mostly taken over as a species, they are not necessarily on the same team. Furthermore, Noa learning about Caesar is another great detail, as it symbolizes how important history can be erased as new powers take over and write their own agendas. Thus, the franchise is going beyond just apes and humans.

Will The Modern Planet Of The Apes Movies Ever Catch Up With The Original Film?

Planet Of The Apes Shouldn’t Rush The Ending

There is no telling what Wes Ball has planned for the future of the Planet of the Apes, but it seems probable that the modern movies will eventually catch up to the originals. From the start, the new franchise has hinted at this ending, so it wouldn’t make sense to avoid it. However, audiences should not expect this full circle moment to happen any time soon. Reportedly, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the start of a new trilogy, so two more movies are inevitable. Potentially, the franchise could end with that third movie.

As cool as it would be to see the new Planet of the Apes merge with the old, the film series certainly shouldn’t rush anything. So far, the new Planet of the Apes movies have been critical and financial hits, expanding the world of the franchise in such interesting and ground-breaking ways. If Ball can continue this trend with the next movies, then the franchise shouldn’t rush to its ending. If anything, Planet of the Apes should take its time meaningfully exploring its sci-fi world so that the finale packs an even greater punch.