History WMG / WarForThePlanetOfTheApes

It doesn't seem to operate by the destruction of the language processing centers of the brain, as a variant of the simian flu would operate. (Nova learns to sign, despite being infected.)
It progresses extremely rapidly, unlike the simian flu. ([=McCullough=] goes from speaking to silent over the course of days (AT MAX), not weeks.)
It apparently doesn't affect apes AT ALL, at odds with it being derived from the simian flu. (Caesar, Luca, Rocket, Maurice, and Bad Ape all have extended (and reasonably close) contact with Nova, and none contract muteness. Caesar and Maurice even pick up her doll, an act which seems to have doomed [=McCullough=].)

*** But the apes do still get affected by the Simian Flu. Yet there is no positve or negative effects of the mutated virus on the apes. It stands to reason that it's a new virus.

It seems rather odd the US Army would send literally all of their available personnel to fight the Colonel (assuming he is telling the truth), and then proceed to use such obviously bad tactics like repeated strafing runs using scarce gunships on a base with anti-aircraft missiles and having the entire infantry charge up to the heavily fortified and naturally protected base...unless the objective of the US military was to dispose of their own personnel. Perhaps the strike force consisted entirely of infected, mute humans, and the military was planning on sacrificing these people to the battle. Even with such bad tactics, the military would still win, but with a high number of casualties.

And, of course, the military would only be willing to do this if it was resource rich to begin with.

Thank about what we know about Malcolm. Not only would he be strongly opposed to what The Colonel was doing, but if Alexander and possibly Ellie succumbed to the mutated virus, there was no way he would sit quietly and let them be executed. Not only would he refuse to follow orders, he would report it to someone who could remove the Colonel from power.

* [[spoiler:Confirmed. He dies saving Caesar's life.]]

* [[spoiler: Confirmed. He appears in Caesar's hallucinations, but by all appearances he's truly dead.]]

* [[spoiler:Jossed. The Colonel killed him himself]].

* [[spoiler:Confirmed. Caesar dies from his wounds after leading his tribe to a new haven]].

* [[spoiler:Partly Jossed. Nova's speechlessness is a new affliction caused by the Simian virus re-emerging and further mutated, and is revealed to be spreading among the surviving humans again.]]

[[WMG: There will be a NEW main protagonist to replace [[spoiler:Caesar]] for the fourth Planet of the Apes film]]
Despite War for the Planet of the Apes being the conclusion of the reboot trilogy, Fox ''did'' announce a fourth film despite [[spoiler:Caesar's death]]. The likely candidates to take [[spoiler:Caesar's]] place as the new main protagonist are:

[[WMG: The apes' treatment at the hands of [[spoiler: The Colonel and Alpha-Omega]] will create more Kobas in the ape colony in a sequel.]]
After everything the apes experienced in the film [[spoiler: at the hands of the Alpha-Omega]], it's not unthinkable that more apes may adopt Koba's mindset with regards to humans. And there may even be Dr. Zaius-esque apes on the rise who believe it's in the best interests of the apes to either shun humans or enslave them. And even if they tolerate Nova for helping them, that tolerance may not necessarily extend to any other potential human characters in the future.

[[WMG: [[spoiler:Maurice becomes the new leader of the apes following Caesar's death]]]]
He ends up becoming [[spoiler:the Lawgiver]], and [[spoiler: is the ancestor of Dr. Zaius]].

[[WMG: Caesar's [[spoiler:surviving]] son will be the ancestor of the classic Cornelius.]]

Now that [[spoiler:Caesar is dead]], Serkis may find himself playing other characters, possibly a grownup Cornelius. Kind of similar to how Roddy [=McDowall=] returned to portray other ape characters in the original series.

Thank about what we know about Malcolm. Not only would he be strongly opposed to what The Colonel was doing, but if [[spoiler:Alexander and possibly Ellie]] succumbed to the mutated virus, there was no way he would sit quietly and let them be executed. Not only would he refuse to follow orders, he would report it to someone who could remove the Colonel from power.

Which will be a straight-up remake/reboot of the original ''[[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]]'' film. Because a fourth film is planned and [[spoiler:Caesar]] will obviously not be the protagonist of that one, this leaves the original astronaut characters as likely contenders of that spot. After all, ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' confirmed the reboot timeline has its own version of the ''Icarus'' (the spaceship that crashed in the original film), and its fate during the Simian Flu crisis had never been resolved; it was last said to be lost in space. Of course, the ending scene could easily be a metaphor for something else, but it could definitely foreshadow the arrival of the ''Icarus'' and its crew.

Being mute isn’t ''that'' debilitating, especially if writing and sign language still exist. In fact, plains sign talk was developed specifically because it was more practical than speaking.

* [[spoiler:Confirmed. He appears in Caesar's hallucinations, but by all appearances he's truly dead.]]

The mere existence of Bad Ape proved that Caesar's people were not the only ones who became intelligent due to the Simian Flu. After the virus spread worldwide, possibly every single monkey in zoos or in the wild has become intelligent; ape colonies may be on the rise all over the world, becoming the new dominant species while the remnants of humanity keep declining. It's going to take from decades to centuries, but these isolated pockets of ape civilization will eventually grow, become countries and, also by studying the remains of humanity, finally develop navigation and/or flight on their own, becoming capable of reaching distant lands. However, as already happened during the history of humanity, and given the evolved apes' tendency to be NotSoDifferent, the contacts with other apes will be less than amicable (when some migrations won't be made with the intention of conquest).

The mere existence of Bad Ape proved that Caesar's people were not the only ones who became intelligent due to the Simian Flu. After the virus spread worldwide, possibly every single monkey in zoos or in the wild has become intelligent; ape colonies may be on the rise all over the world, becoming the new dominant species while the remnants of humanity keep declining. It's going to take from decades to centuries, but these isolated pockets of ape civilization will eventually grow, become countries and, also by studying the remains of humanity, finally develop navigation and/or flight on their own, becoming capable of reaching distant lands. However, as already happened during the history of humanity, and given the evolved apes' tendency to be NotSoDifferent, the contacts with other apes will be less than amicable (when some migrations won't be made with the intention of conquest).

Which will be a straight-up remake/reboot of the original ''[[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 Planet of the Apes]]'' film. Because a fourth film is planned and [[spoiler:Caesar]] will obviously not be the protagonist of that one, this leaves the original astronaut characters as likely contenders of that spot. After all, ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' confirmed the reboot timeline has its own version of the ''Icarus'' (the spaceship that crashed in the original film), and its fate during the Simian Flu crisis had never been resolved; it was last said to be lost in space. Of course, the ending scene could easily be a metaphor for something else, but it could definitely foreshadow the arrival of the ''Icarus'' and its crew.

Thank about what we know about Malcolm. Not only would he be strongly opposed to what The Colonel was doing, but if [[spoiler:Alexander and possibly Ellie]] succumbed to the mutated virus, there was no way he would sit quietly and let them be executed. Not only would he refuse to follow orders, he would report it to someone who could remove the Colonel from power.

* [[spoiler:Jossed. He appears in Caesar's hallucinations, but by all appearances he's truly dead.]]