Summary

• Nova's impact on ape culture is so significant that humans are named "Nova" in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
• Kingdom will show a future where apes have power and humans are enslaved, with a callback to the original 1968 film.
• The film explores historical interpretation and connection to previous movies, emphasizing Nova's lasting legacy.

The fourth installment in the rebooted Planet of the Apes series, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, may not be in theaters yet, but the movie has already confirmed who the most important human character in the whole franchise is. Like every Planet of the Apes movie before it, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' story will explore the volatile relationship between apes and the last surviving humans on Earth. A recently released clip from the film has now clarified which Planet of the Apes human character has the most significant impact on the series as a whole.

A sequel to 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom will take place at a later point in the Planet of the Apes movie timeline, roughly 300 years after the events of that movie and Caesar's death. In a departure from the first three installments, Kingdom will see the apes as the ones who hold the power, while the humans will be enslaved and hunted for sport. The next sequel also includes a pleasing link to one of the human characters from War for the Planet of the Apes, who, in turn, establishes them as the franchise's most important human player.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes' Nova Twist Proves Her Impact On Caesar & Apes

Nova Leaves A Mark That's Felt 300 Years Later

A minute-long clip depicts two of Kingdom of the Planet of the Ape's main ape characters, Noa and Raka, sitting around a campfire. A female human then approaches, and Raka decides to call her "Nova," explaining that apes name all humans Nova. This is notable because Nova was also the name of one of the human characters in War for the Planet of the Apes. During that movie, Caesar, Maurice, and the others befriend a young mute girl who was given the name "Nova" by Maurice before becoming his adopted daughter and joining the rest of their apes in their new home.

What this means is that Nova had such an impact on ape culture that, eventually, the word "Nova" became the standard name for humans. The trailer and synopsis for the film have hinted that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will explore Caesar's legacy, with the events of the first three movies playing a role in shaping the ape society depicted in the movie. A key theme of the film appears to be how historical records can be interpreted differently. The revelation about Nova seems to back this up, demonstrating the ripples she and the first enhanced apes caused.

Planet Of The Apes' New Nova Meaning Creates Another Original Movie Connection

Planet Of The Apes 4’s Nova Links To A 1968 Character

As well as being a link to War of the Planet of the Apes, the revelation in Kingdom also creates a clever connection to the original 1968 Planet of the Apes film, which also features a female character called Nova (played by Linda Harrison). While there was previously some confusion regarding whether the Nova of War for the Planet of the Apes grew up to be the Nova of the original film, Kingdom now appears to have made things clearer. Either 1968's Nova is just one of many humans with that name, or she is potentially the very same woman seen in the Kingdom clip.

Planet of the Apes (1968) is currently available to stream on Starz.

However, the explanation could be simpler than that. It's possible that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' creators merely wanted to include a pleasing throwback to the original 1968 movie. After all, the continuity of the reboot movies is different from that of the films in the original series. Though there is an argument to be made that the films that started with Rise of the Planet of the Apes have all been building towards the events of the 1968 movie, this hasn't been confirmed. It's, therefore, better to see Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' neat Nova reference as just that.