Summary
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apesleaves two key characters, Nova and Bad Ape, out of the movie’s opening scene of Caesar’s funeral. The fourth installment in the modernPlanet of the Apesmoviefranchise moved past Caesar’s story and timeframe by going hundreds of years into the future. This did not preventKingdom of the Planet of the ApesEaster eggsfrom holding many connections to previous films, including how it heavily connects to the main ape from the previous trilogy. Caesar’s influence over the movie is made clear with the opening scene showcasing his funeral.
StartingKingdom of the Planet of the Apeswith Caesar’s funeral proved to be a smart way of bridging the last trilogy and what could be the start of a new one. This allowed the franchise to give further closure followingCaesar’s death inWar for the Planet of the Apes. This includedKingdom of the Planet of the Apeshaving some additional characters from the previous trilogy appear as part of the ape ceremony. Oddly, that made the absences of a few other key characters all the more noticeable.
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Other Characters Are Featured
ThroughoutKingdom of the Planet of the Apes' opening scene,audiences see a handful of characters from the last trilogy in attendance at Caesar’s funeral. His trusted orangutan friend Maurice, close ally Rocket, and youngest son Cornelius are all shown clearly during the sequence. There are even apes who appear to resemble Stone, another major Caesar supporter, and Lake, the wife of Blue Eyes. All their appearances make sense given they were with Caesar’s colony duringWar for the Planet of the Apes' ending. Anyone looking for Nova or Bad Ape will not find them, as they are missing.
Nova was played by Amiah Miller, and Bad Ape was played by Steve Zahn
Nova and Bad Ape were new characters introduced forWar for the Planet of the Apes. Both became key characters in the storyline andwere with Caesar and the rest of the apes as they migrated to a new home. It does not make sense for Nova and Bad Ape to be missing from thisKingdom of the Planet of the Apesscene then. They were shown on-screen nearby at the moment that Caesar died. While it could be argued that either is present but off-screen, there is currently no confirmation that Nova or Bad Ape were there.
They Were Connected To Caesar’s Finale
Not having Nova and Bad Ape inKingdom of the Planet of the Apesis strange beyond the fact thatthey were close in proximity to Caesar when he died.War for the Planet of the Apesmade both characters crucial to Caesar’s development in the trilogy capper. Nova helped Caesar regain some faith and trust in humanity. Meanwhile, Bad Ape was a critical reason why Caesar was rescued from the human prison, and he was ecstatic to think that Caesar survived the final escape. As a result, both characters became critical to how the franchise ended Caesar’s story.
There is no good reason why Nova and Bad Ape would not be atCaesar’s funeral inKingdom of the Planet of the Apeseither.The ceremony even has a connection to Novaas the apes copy her by putting flowers on Caesar’s body. Seeing Nova be among those to put a flower on his body would be emotionally impactful. While Nova actress Amiah Miller aged out of the part by the timeKingdom of the Planet of the Apeshappened, the sequel could have recast the character. Bad Ape could have easily been brought back with CGI too.
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Kingdom Advances The Franchise Beyond Them
Nova and Bad Ape missing fromKingdom of the Planet of the Apesis especially disheartening as it means their stories are already over. Since the movie jumps generations into the future,Nova and Bad Ape died long ago.War for the Planet of the Apesnow becomes the last time audiences will ever see these characters again. Considering the potential that both held for future installments, the fact that we’ll never see them again is disappointing.
The only chance that Nova and Bad Ape will return is if thePlanet of the Apesfranchise plan changes. The series is focused on the story involving Noa and Mae, which meant skipping past the rest of Nova and Bad Ape’s lives. Unless future installments reverse course and go back in thePlanet of the Apestimelineto tell stories betweenWarandKingdom, they are not available to return. If onlyKingdom of the Planet of the Apesjust included Nova and Bad Ape as part of Caesar’s funeral scene.
