In the Planet of the Apes reboot series, Will Rodman, played by James Franco, is a central character in the first film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). However, his fate is left uncertain by the end of the movie, leading many fans to wonder what happened to him in the subsequent films.
Will’s Role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes
In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Will Rodman is a scientist working on a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. He develops a drug called ALZ-112, which he tests on chimpanzees, including a young chimp named Caesar. The drug dramatically enhances Caesar’s intelligence, but it also leads to the spread of a virus that is deadly to humans.
Throughout the film, Will forms a close bond with Caesar, raising him as a member of his family. However, as Caesar grows older and becomes more aware of the injustices faced by his fellow apes, he leads an uprising against humans, ultimately causing the spread of the virus that decimates the human population.
Will’s Fate in the Sequel Films
In the sequel films, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), Will Rodman is not mentioned or seen. The films take place several years after the events of Rise, focusing on the conflict between the surviving humans and the intelligent apes led by Caesar.
While Will’s fate is never explicitly addressed in the sequels, it is implied that he likely succumbed to the virus that wiped out most of humanity. The virus, known as the Simian Flu, was highly contagious and deadly, leaving only a small percentage of the human population alive.
Theories and Speculations
Some fans have speculated that Will may have survived the pandemic, possibly due to his close contact with Caesar and the ALZ-112 drug. However, there is no concrete evidence in the films to support this theory.
Others believe that Will’s absence from the sequels is a deliberate choice by the filmmakers to shift the focus entirely onto Caesar and the apes’ story, as the franchise is ultimately about the rise of the apes and the fall of human civilization.
Will’s Legacy
Although Will Rodman is not present in the later films, his actions in Rise of the Planet of the Apes set the stage for the entire reboot series. His relationship with Caesar and his work on the ALZ-112 drug are the catalysts for the events that lead to the downfall of humanity and the rise of the intelligent apes.
In a way, Will’s legacy lives on through Caesar, who becomes the leader of the apes and fights for their rights and survival in a world where humans are no longer the dominant species.
Conclusion
While the exact fate of Will Rodman in the Planet of the Apes reboot series is never confirmed, it is heavily implied that he died during the Simian Flu pandemic. His absence from the sequel films suggests that his story arc was concluded in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, with the focus shifting to Caesar and the apes’ struggle in the post-apocalyptic world. Nevertheless, Will’s actions and his relationship with Caesar remain crucial to the overall narrative of the franchise.
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