Warning: Major spoilers for the end of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” are ahead.
Andy Serkis deserves all of the praise in the world for his performance as Caesar in the “Planet of the Apes” movies. But a good amount of praise ought to be reserved for Toby Kebbell‘s work as Koba, the literally and figuratively tortured ape with a grudge against humanity, and an eye on vengeance against Caesar.
Koba was the surprise hit of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” a fan-favorite among fans and critics, and, apparently, among the creative team as well. In fact, writer-director Matt Reeves loves Koba so much that he might bring him back for his upcoming “Dawn” sequel.
Speaking with Chinese outlet M Time (and translated by Badass Digest), Reeves revealed that he left Koba’s “death” at the end of “Dawn” just ambiguous enough to allow the character to resurface in the next “Planet of the Apes.”
“I thought that Toby Kebbell gave such an incredible performance,” said Reeves. “And I thought he was so powerful and I thought God you don’t find a villain who has got that great a story. Because as you said he was not really formed as a villain, he’s really a tragic figure. And I thought God, he’s amazing let’s leave open the possibility, let’s create the door of a possibility if we find a story that becomes worth telling that we can go down that path again because I thought the vein was so rich.”
In fact, Reeves originally crafted an ending where you see Koba survive the fall that supposedly claims his life — but he decided not to push forward with that conclusion, as it undercut the impact on Caesar’s story. Still, Reeves believes he’s left open “the tiniest crack” in the Koba story, allowing him to bring Kebbell’s villain back if he so desires. Perhaps that explains the audio Easter egg that plays at the end of the credits.
We’ll see if Koba makes a miraculous recovery when the next “Planet of the Apes” arrives on July 29, 2016.
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