A common theory about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was proven instantly wrong by the 2024 film, with the franchise taking an alternate direction that no one saw coming. Picking up 300 years after War for the Planet of the Apes, the latest installment shows the drastic shift in the world after the Simian Flu devastated the human population and improved the intelligence of apes. While the previous movie saw human forces dwindling, they’re far worse off in Kingdom and are no longer the dominant species on Earth.

While Owen Teague leads the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes cast as Noa, The Witcher actress Freya Allan plays the lead human character, Mae. Their dichotomy as representatives of their species is one of the film’s central narratives, examining the potential for a relationship between humans and apes. In the previous 2010s trilogy, participants from both species instigated conflict, leading to the state of the world as seen in the new movie.

Given context from the broader franchise and what audiences knew from the trailers, the going theory about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Mae was that she was an astronaut from the past who’d landed hundreds of years later. In the recent film’s timeline, the primary population of humans is feral due to the Simian Flu virus, adding to the shock when Mae starts speaking mid-way through the film. However, this isn’t because she was in space; it’s because a colony of humans has taken shelter in bunkers, protecting them from the virus and rampant ape civilizations.

While Mae isn’t an astronaut, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes did note the potential of space travel for the franchise. Shortly after beginning his journey, Noa finds himself in an old human university observatory, where he looks through a telescope and sees the stars. At the end of the film, he returns there with Soona and shows her. While it’s meant as a romantic moment between the pair, it also seems like foreshadowing for the franchise, especially given that the original Planet of the Apes movie was centered around a human astronaut returning to Earth.

Where Mae Comes From In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

Mae’s Human Colony Are Protected From The Virus By Sheltering In A Bunker

The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ending has major implications for the franchise going forward, setting up a premise for sequels to Wes Ball’s film. The bulk of the film sees the ape ruler Proximus Caesar attempting to breach a mysterious vault, looking for weaponry to strengthen his reign. Mae also seeks the vault’s contents, though for a different reason. She’s on a mission from a human colony to collect a SATCOM key from the vault, which is later used to reactivate satellites, establishing communication for the remaining intelligent humans.

The fact that there are still intelligent humans on Earth means Wes Ball’s Planet of the Apes trilogy won’t simply be a conflict between apes. There’s still a long way to go before the events of the original 1968 film, and humanity still has some fight left in it. Mae’s human colony may be small in number, but its societal structure and advanced technology make it a threat to the apes, whose societies resemble ancient human civilization. Once the satellites turn on, it’s also revealed that there are more human bunkers like Mae’s around the country.

Mae’s Planet Of The Apes Future Could Make The Astronaut Theory Correct

Space Travel Could Be In Humanity’s Future In Planet Of The Apes

 While Mae certainly hasn’t come from a spaceship, it’s not impossible that she, or another character, could end up in space. Space travel has always been a part of the Planet of the Apes franchise, and it would make sense for humanity to make a desperate play for their survival by sending a ship into space, similar to what’s seen in the original movie. The other option, which could be more far-fetched, would be for humankind to attempt some sort of time travel, hoping to reverse the effects of the Simian virus to begin with.

The modern Planet of the Apes movies haven’t embraced the outlandish science fiction elements of the original, but it will be fascinating to see how the series develops. Wes Ball intends to direct a trilogy for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and talks of another subsequent trilogy have been discussed. For the sake of the narrative not becoming redundant, incorporating more science fiction elements could be an excellent move, embracing older eras of the franchise.

Given context from the broader franchise and what audiences knew from the trailers, the going theory about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Mae was that she was an astronaut from the past who’d landed hundreds of years later. In the recent film’s timeline, the primary population of humans is feral due to the Simian Flu virus, adding to the shock when Mae starts speaking mid-way through the film. However, this isn’t because she was in space; it’s because a colony of humans has taken shelter in bunkers, protecting them from the virus and rampant ape civilizations.

Given context from the broader franchise and what audiences knew from the trailers, the going theory about Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ Mae was that she was an astronaut from the past who’d landed hundreds of years later. In the recent film’s timeline, the primary population of humans is feral due to the Simian Flu virus, adding to the shock when Mae starts speaking mid-way through the film. However, this isn’t because she was in space; it’s because a colony of humans has taken shelter in bunkers, protecting them from the virus and rampant ape civilizations.