The fate ofDawn of the Planet of the Apes' main human character, Jason Clarke’s Malcolm, was never outlined in the film’s sequel, though that is not to say his story does not have a conclusion. ThePlanet of the Apestimelinecan be admittedly confusing, but the four movies released since 2011 fit together nicely as an interconnected story. The most recent installment was set hundreds of years after the leader of the apes, Caesar, was killed, withKingdom of the Planet of the Apes' sequelset to further explore the future of the franchise.
Where Caesar’s journey specifically is concerned, however, the ape had a lot of help from allies as he and his fellow simians became the dominant species on Earth. In what is often considered thebestPlanet of the Apesmovie, Caesar was aided by Jason Clarke’s Malcolm and his family. The secondchronologicalPlanet of the Apesmoviesaw Malcolm trying to ensure peace between the surviving humans and the apes led by Caesar, yetWar for the Planet of the Apesdid not reveal what happened to him. That said, Malcolm’s fate has been revealed in the time since the trilogy concluded.
Malcolm Was Killed By The Colonel Between Dawn And War
Two Major Human Characters Came Into Conflict
As ofDawn of the Planet of the Apes' ending, Malcolm is convinced to leave the San Francisco area by Caesar. As ensured by Gary Oldman’s Dreyfus, the human survivors made contact with a military base, which loosed an army to deal with Caesar and the apes. Caesar believes that the humans will not see reason and accept that the war was wrongfully started by the vengeful Koba, thus telling Malcolm and his family to leave so that they are not caught up in the conflict.
10 Strongest Apes In The Planet Of The Apes Movies, Ranked
The modern Planet of the Apes movies have become some of the most compelling films in the industry, featuring many strong ape characters.
According to the director of bothDawnandWar for thePlanet of the Apes,Matt Reeves,Malcolm’s post-Dawn of the Planet of the Apesstorysaw him make contact with the military group heading for San Francisco. Reeves revealed that an early draft of the script forWar for the Planet of the Apesinvolved Woody Harrelson’s Colonel recounting his meeting with Malcolm to Caesar. At the end of this scene,Caesar asks what happened to Malcolm, with The Colonel bluntly revealing that he killed him, sealing Malcolm’s dark fate afterDawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Why The Colonel Killed Malcolm After Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Malcolm & The Colonel Have Very Different Ideologies
Naturally, the burning question is why The Colonel killed Malcolm, and likely the latter’s family too. Reeves has spoken about this also, with the aforementioned cut scene fromWar for the Planet of the Apes’script including a difference of opinion between Malcolm and The Colonel. Apparently, The Colonel was set to tell Caesar that Malcolm implored him not to go to war with the apes and instead seek peace. Malcolm repeatedly told The Colonel how great a leader Caesar was, and that peace was the best option for humans and apes alike.
The Colonel did not want any of his men to believe that peace was possible between the humans and the apes, thus killing Malcolm as a way of silencing him…
The Colonel reveals that these words from Malcolm are what caused him to kill Caesar’s former ally. The Colonel describes Malcolm’s belief as a virus that could spread to other men and that, due to the ongoing fight for humanity, The Colonel killed him to prevent such a result.War for the Planet of the Apesmakes it clear that The Colonel resents Caesar and the apes, blaming them for the simian fluand the devolution of humanity. The Colonel is committed to wiping them out as a result, meaning any notions of peace will fall on deaf ears.
Evidently, Malcolm’s pleas had this result. The Colonel did not want any of his men to believe that peace was possible between the humans and the apes, thus killing Malcolm as a way of silencing him and ensuring a war. This war was set to take back the Earth for the surviving humans, yet the events ofWar for the Planet of the Apessaw The Colonel’s efforts go awry, making Malcolm’s death even more tragic as it was in vain.
Malcolm’s Fate After Dawn Was Similar To Will’s After Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Another Connection Between Two Major Human Characters Is Found
What makes Malcolm’s fate afterDawn of the Planet of the Apeseven more interesting is how similar it is to the fate that befell Will inRise of the Planet of the Apes. Will was Caesar’s human ally in the first film, as essentially his father and the man who made it possible for the apes to become as intelligent as they were. In the time betweenRise of the Planet of the ApesandDawn of the Planet of the Apes,though, Will died after contracting the simian flu.
Tragically, both of Caesar’s main human allies in those first three films died off-screen. Although the circumstances were different, Will and Malcolm both did not get to see Caesar again after separating. Will fell victim to a virus he had a hand in creating, while Malcolm suffered the wrath of the vengeful Colonel, marking several connections betweenDawn of the Planet of the Apes, its predecessor, and its successor.
