Goals
Save humanity from extinction by eradicating the apes (succeeded; but not in the way he hoped).
Kill Caesar and his friends (posthumously succeeded with Caesar, failed with his friends).
Avenge his deceased son and prevent the Simian Flu virus from further spreading (partially failed).
Crimes
Attempted genocide
Animal cruelty
War crimes
Filicide
Starvation
Unlawful imprisonment
Terrorism
Mass murder
Enslavement
Torture
Type of Villain
Genocidal Warlord
Plus
This is a holy war. All of human history has led to this moment. If we lose, we'll be the last of our kind. It will be a Planet of Apes, and we'll become your cattle. Look at you. You think I am sick, don't you? I didn't mean to kill your son. But if his destiny was to inherit your unholy kingdom... I'm glad I did it.
The Colonel's speech to Ceasar.
Colonel J. Wesley McCullough, simply known as The Colonel, is the main antagonist of the 2017 science-fiction action film War for the Planet of the Apes, the third installment of the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise.
He is the ruthless and calculating leader of the rogue military force Alpha-Omega, obsessed with wiping out the San Francisco Ape Colony in an effort to save the human race from the evolved Simian Flu. He became the second arch-nemesis of Caesar after he personally killed his wife and eldest son in an attack on the apes' home.
He was portrayed by Woody Harrelson, who also played Carson Wells in No Country for Old Men, Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers, Charles Costello in Seven Psychopaths, Harlan DeGroat in Out of the Furnace, Chase McKinney in Now You See Me 2, Tobias Beckett in Solo: A Star Wars Story and Cletus Kasady/Carnage in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
Personality
McCullough is, from the very beginning of the film, defined as very brutal and aggressive and by his conflict against the apes. He firmly believes that the apes are destroying the world, that peace between them and humans is impossible due to their superior strength and rising intelligence and humans will inevitably become cattle to apes should they not be exterminated. Because of this, he is determined to eliminate all apes in order to ensure humanity prevails, and his hate comes very naturally against his enemies. Despite this, McCullough showed some degree of respect for apes (unlike the likes of Steven Jacobs, who saw them as lab-rats at best), commending that he had heard tell of Caesar's reputation and was actually impressed by his intellect and leadership
