After starring in the franchise's 2011 reboot, James Franco was largely missing from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Directed by Rupert Wyatt, Rise of the Planet of the Apes revived the Planet of the Apes films and followed Caesar, played by Andy Serkis, who goes from life in captivity to leading an ape uprising.
In the first film, James Franco played the pivotal role of Dr. William "Will" Rodman who raised Caesar while attempting to find a cure for his father's Alzheimer's disease.
[ Planet of the Apes Movies in Order: All 10 Films & How to Watch ]
Did Planet of the Apes Kill off James Franco?
Despite James Franco's central role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, he was mostly absent from 20th Century Fox's 2014 sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
While unconfirmed, there are a few possible reasons why Franco didn't return to his leading role.
First of all, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes place ten years after the first film and amidst the throes of the Simian Flu.
The film even suggests that Franco's Will died, as indicated by the scene showing an X painted on his house, a sign that its occupants had been infected.
However, James Franco was not the only original actor without a notable in the sequel.
Apart from Andy Serkis as Caesar, the same can be said for the original film's main cast, which may be due to the film's attempt to best focus on new players.
Another possibility is the change in directors between films as Matt Reeves replaced Rupert Wyatt for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
James Franco commented on this in a 2012 interview, telling MTV (via Comic Book Movie), "I was going to be a small part of the next one" but "Nobody's talked to me since Rupert [Wyatt] left:"
"I was going to be a small part of the next one. There was a moment when Rupert Wyatt was going to direct the second one. A lot of the human characters that were in the first movie were dead in the sequel that Rupert was going to direct. But there was one scene, between Caesar and my character, maybe even just like on a video that was left behind, but then a lot of things happened, like [former Fox co-chairman] Tom Rothman who was a big part of the first movie, left. Now Rupert's not a part of it so I don't know. My guess is I won't be in it. Nobody's talked to me since Rupert left."
No Future for Franco in Planet of the Apes?
James Franco may have been missing from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but that is not to say he was completely removed.
Will and the creation of the flu are indirectly mentioned several times throughout the sequel, and Caesar's son Blue Eyes discovers that humans raised his father.
Franco is even shown in a touching scene when Caesar rewatches old footage of himself and Will.
However, this particular James Franco cameo was uncredited.
This tradition of callbacks continues in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes where fans noted a nod to Franco's Will in one of the film's trailers.
However, since the 2024 film is set 300 years after 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes and is now under the Disney banner, it's extremely unlikely Franco will ever return, especially given the controversy now surrounding the star.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes arrives in theaters on Friday, May 10.
Check out other Planet of the Apes stories below:
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Producer Spoils Caesar's Key Role In Sequel
2024 Planet of the Apes Director Confirms What We All Suspected About the New Main Character's Story
Disney Confirms Caesar Twist In 2024 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Movie
