One of the bigger questions revolving around the new Planet of the Apes series since it began a number of years ago is if and how it would connect into the original, classic Planet of the Apes movies. Through two movies so far, the films have made multiple nods with its story and characters that now have us transitioning from if to when. War for the Planet of the Apes hits theaters next summer, which will no doubt feature more that will lead us directly into the original 1968 film, and we just got our first taste.

Entertainment Weekly has revealed a new piece of concept art for Matt Reeves’ upcoming film, which shows us fans that amidst all the chaos War will display (which can be seen in that spectacular first trailer), there will still be those fantastic peaceful moments that both Rise and Dawn had. The image shows a silver back gorilla riding a horse (apes on horses!) reaching out for a young blonde girl in quite a visually stunning shot. But what’s interesting and exciting about this image, that young girl has been revealed as Nova, the mute girl played by Linda Harrison alongside Charlton Heston in the original 1968 film.

Now you may look at it and think, well maybe it’s just a coincidence, plus her hair is blonde and not brunette. Well, EW confirmed in their article that the young girl is in fact the same Nova from both Planet of the Apes and its sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes, which is now the strongest connective piece between these films and the original other than Caesar.

Now, of course, this reveal now brings up the question of how much she’s included in the film and what kind of impact her inclusion will have. Is she just an easter egg? Along with the new image, EW caught up with director Matt Reeves, where he said the following about Caesar and the role Nova has:

“The battle is not just between the humans and the apes, but in Caesar’s soul,” Reeves said. “The girl is his pull back to his empathy and — for lack of a better word — his human side.”

With its first trailer and now this new revelation, War for the Planet of the Apes is shaping up to be something bigger than it already was. What about you? Does this character connection get you more excited to see War? Let us know your thoughts and what kind of anticipation you have for the film below. War for the Planet of the Apes is directed by Matt Reeves and swings into theaters on July 14th, 2017.