The fate of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' sequel set 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 the chronological Planet of the Apes movie saw Malcolm trying to ensure peace between the surviving humans and the apes led by Caesar, yet War for the Planet of the Apes did 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 of Dawn 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 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.

According to the director of both Dawn and War for the Planet of the Apes, Matt Reeves, Malcolm's post-Dawn of the Planet of the Apes story saw him make with the military group heading for San Francisco. Reeves revealed that an early draft of the script for War for the Planet of the Apes involved 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 after Dawn 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 from War 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 Apes makes it clear that The Colonel resents Caesar and the apes, blaming them for the simian flu and 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 of War for the Planet of the Apes saw 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 after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes even more interesting is how similar it is to the fate that befell Will in Rise 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 between Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn 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 between Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, its predecessor, and its successor.