Leslie, etc...
I agree with the 2cnd theory MOSTLY. Except I don't think he necessarily went to Earth... just another planet. (Remember the 2 moons?). Could have been either, though.
Also, I thought that the date display in his pod read 2
149 or something... meaning he went
further into time. And is still one the 1st planet (whether it's Earth or the other planet). Throughout the movie, the apes aren't really all that technologically advanced. Charleton Heston's character even mentions the humans power to invent. In that last scene, they (apes) have built monuments, have cars & cameras, etc. They are about equivocolly advanced to us humans today. So it's like he just skipped ahead a thousand years and everything went back to the apes being in control.
Just my theory
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SilverTurtle
Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative & Performing Arts