Well, this is going to be intense.
I believe there's quite a bit of subtext that makes them extremely shippable. Mae has been brought up to hate apes and think that humans have the right over them. She has been raised in a world where humans are hunted and ostracized, and all she knows is what she's been told: that the apes took everything from them and if they have to live in a bunker or be hunted like prey, it's because of those "monsters." It's understandable that she harbors hatred towards them if we consider her perspective and where she comes from.
Additionally, she has a mission. She's been trained to be a soldier in service to human interests, and she firmly believes in this (a good example being that she doesn't seem to have any moral qualms about doing whatever it takes to achieve her goals, even if it means killing or letting people die). Noa is a means to her goals, and she uses him, which is consistent with her background, and this is where both worlds collide like a damn big bang.
Noa is the opposite of her: he was raised in a tribe with the love of his parents, childhood friends, and community. A rather healthy and functional environment, unlike hers. He only knows humans as "wild" creatures and little else. He's the archetype of the innocent young hero whose journey involves transitioning from a child to an adult by leaving home and witnessing the world's problems. Consequently, he has a noble and empathetic character. Mae is predisposed to using him as just another tool, and suddenly she finds someone with that naive honor typical of someone who hasn't experienced enough yet. Both he and Raka help her and take risks for her. And this causes very conflicting and contradictory feelings in her, quite difficult to manage because aren't they supposed to be detestable monsters? Why does he suddenly seem like such a good guy? Is he really torn between choosing one species over another? Am I supposed to hate him but I can't really bring myself to do so? What does that mean? They form an alliance that doesn't hold up because it's based on a common goal, but isn't that how the best dynamics between heroes and anti-heroes start?
Honestly, Mae seems like the most complex and interesting character of all, because despite holding onto her belief that humans should regain dominance, she's clearly conflicted by everything she's experienced with Noa. Female characters, especially those who share the spotlight with the male lead, often represent unconditional support, care, and rationality. A female character like Mae, who fits more into the archetype of a villain with potential for a future redemption arc, is truly refreshing. I sincerely believe she went with the intention to kill him (why else return then?), but in the end, she couldn't. And when he asks her if humans and apes could live in peace, she's truly conflicted. That's where it's evident that everything she's been taught and her purpose in life clash sharply with the relationship she's developed with Noa throughout the journey, and she doesn't even know how to respond because she's unable to process it.
I mean, the director has made it quite clear that, although Noa was introduced as the protagonist, Mae would be the deuteragonist of the story and potentially the saga if there are more films. This means that in the future, they will meet again, and we'll see the consequences of the time they've spent together. I'm not sure if current Hollywood would want to explore romantic feelings between them (I would, for the potential and because it seems much more intriguing than opting for the easy route of childhood friends or any kind of cliché romantic interest), but certainly, if there isn't a clear, even platonic, relationship between them, I won't see any sense in it. The chemistry between them is a fact, the tension and distrust palpable, but also an undeniable attachment between them. They're one of those relationships that make you suffer a lot and generate too much anxiety, and I'm completely invested in them.
Overall, it's a classic enemies-to-allies-to-enemies again- to probably allies again- to friends-to-angsty-and-doomed-love, and I really love those kinds of relationships; the more complex they are, the more obstacles there are, the better
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