New Planet of the Apes Movie Adds Marvel Favorite As Director (But It May Create a Diabolical Cliffhanger)

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The Planet of the Apes series, once a huge part of blockbuster and sci-fi cinema and considered one of the best franchises ever made, saw a resurgence in the 2010s. After a poorly received remake by Tim Burton, improvements in visual effects and motion capture technology allowed for a successful return. This led to a trilogy starring Andy Serkis, which earned over $1.5 billion worldwide. Even after his character, Caesar, concluded his story, the series continued with 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, proving the franchise still had plenty of potential.

It’s been quiet for the Planet of the Apes series since the last film, which took place far in the future after War for the Planet of the Apes. While there were rumors about a new movie, nothing was official until now. Deadline reports that Josh Friedman, the writer of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and director Matt Shakman – both known for their work in Marvel projects – are joining the next Planet of the Apes film. However, the new movie won’t continue the story from the previous films; it will be a standalone story.

New Planet of the Apes Movie Finds Director (And New Story Direction)

It’s no surprise Josh Friedman is writing the next Planet of the Apes movie, considering he also wrote Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. However, the news that Matt Shakman will direct is a big win for the series. Shakman brings extensive experience with large-scale blockbusters and visual effects. He’s proven his skills with projects like Fantastic Four: First Steps (where he worked with motion capture) and the Emmy-nominated WandaVision. His other TV work, including Game of Thrones, The Boys, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, further demonstrates his ability to handle major franchise projects.

As a big fan of the Planet of the Apes films, I was honestly a little surprised to hear the next movie isn’t continuing the story from Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. That ending felt like a really strong setup – you had Freya Allan’s character, Mae, finding this hidden colony of humans and getting the satellite system back online, suggesting humanity could actually start fighting back. It seemed like they were building towards something huge! But apparently, the new film is going to be a completely fresh, original story within the Apes universe, which is… interesting. It’s a bit of a detour from where Kingdom left us, but I’m still cautiously optimistic.

This is a significant and frustrating cliffhanger, particularly considering the history of the Planet of the Apes franchise. The original films were known for endings that seemed to definitively close the story, yet sequels were still made. For instance, Beneath the Planet of the Apes ended with the planet’s destruction, but Escape from the Planet of the Apes came out the following year. Leaving such a major question unanswered is poor storytelling and doesn’t align with the series’ established pattern.

Beyond the frustration that the new movie is essentially rebooting the series, there are two other concerning points. Director Matt Shakman has been connected to several big films that he ultimately left. For example, he was set to direct a live-action version of The Phantom Tollbooth in 2017 but left the project a year later. Similarly, he was considered for a new Star Trek movie in 2021, but chose to work on Marvel’s Fantastic Four instead.

Here’s what’s got me thinking: with Matt Shakman now involved with the Planet of the Apes franchise, I’m starting to wonder about the future of Marvel’s Fantastic Four. Marvel hasn’t officially announced a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps yet, and with those characters slated to appear in the massive Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars events, a dedicated Fantastic Four film feels quite a ways off. This creates a potential situation where Shakman might eventually have to choose which franchise to commit to – another Fantastic Four movie or continuing with Apes.

You won’t believe this, but it’s seriously funny timing. Wes Ball, who’s directing the new Planet of the Apes movie, used to work on Marvel stuff! And get this – right now, Marvel is actually doing a comic book crossover between Planet of the Apes and the Fantastic Four! It’s the first time those two worlds have ever collided in print, and it’s happening while he’s making the Apes film. Talk about a coincidence!

https://comicbook.com/movies/list/10-most-rewatchable-sci-fi-movie-franchises-of-all-time/embed/#

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2026-05-06 23:40