As news about Jurassic World 4 continues to captivate audiences, leaving them eagerly anticipating what lies ahead, attention is drawn to a list of characters that need to return for the next installment. With reports indicating that none of the original cast members are involved and previous stars like DeWanda Wise skeptical about a reunion for the fourth film, it highlights a vital missing element from the upcoming project. The dinosaurs may have been the star attractions, but the human characters helped to make the Jurassic Park series truly iconic. While characters like Dr. Alan Grant and Claire Dearing were given their happily-ever-afters, there are plenty of unresolved plot threads, stories untold, and a legacy to uphold over three decades later.
Debuting in 1993 and based on the novel of the same name, Jurassic Park launched a full-fledged phenomenon that'd span six movies, multiple TV adaptations, and enough merchandise to keep the franchise from ever going extinct. With 2023's Jurassic World Dominion billing itself as "the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era," it left fans of the series with the impression that it'd be the end. However, with the announcement of a new TV series, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, and an upcoming movie in 2025 just like the dinosaurs cloned by Jurassic Park scientists, the series wasn't as dead as most people believed, exciting them for where the series will go.
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on July 24, 2024: Jurassic World 4 is fast approaching and, though it claims to be a soft reboot of the franchise, the film may include some callbacks to previous entries in the franchise. This article has been updated to include additional characters and to adhere to CBR's current formatting guidelines.
15 Jurassic World Needs To Continue Its Main Hero's Storyline
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A Dark Jurassic Park Theory Claims Those Aren’t Dinosaurs (& It Makes Sense)
A Reddit theory suggests that the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are merely genetic miasma monsters made to look and act like "real" dinosaurs.
Sam Neill's Dr. Alan Grant is the original protagonist of the Jurassic Park franchise. A paleontologist who always seems to be in need of some cash, Grant is convinced to take part in a committee testing a new dinosaur theme park, changing his life forever. He would return to face dinosaurs twice more after his initial encounter, becoming one of the most famous Jurassic Park survivors.
- Certain aspects of Alan Grant's character and personality are based on real-life paleontologist Jack Horner, who was a consultant on the first Jurassic Park film.
Although Alan Grant got his hero moment in Jurassic World: Dominion, fans wouldn't be opposed to seeing the franchise protagonist come back for another adventure in the upcoming movie. As one of the most seasoned and skilled survivors in the series, Grant could be a worthy mentor for whatever newcomers are introduced in the next installment.
14 Laura Dern's Ellie Sattler Still Hasn't Had Her Chance To Shine
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Dr. Ellie Satler is a paleobotanist played by Laura Dern in the Jurassic Park franchise. She was part of the original group attacked at the first Jurassic Park location and one of the few who escaped with her life. She was also part of the group that infiltrated Biosyn in Jurassic World: Dominion, helping take down the corrupt organization, but not before facing off against several massive dinosaurs in the process.
- The conifer tree species Brachyphyllumsattlerae was named after the character of Ellie Sattler in 2020.
Each member of the original Jurassic Park trio has had a movie of their own except for Ellie. Ian Malcolm takes over the lead in The Lost World and Alan Grant returns as the primary hero of Jurassic Park III, but Ellie never gets her own adventure. The fourth Jurassic World film could finally give Ellie Sattler a movie of her own and a chance to shine like her companions have.
13 DeWanda Wise Has Great Potential In The Jurassic World Films
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DeWanda Wise joined the Jurassic World franchise in Dominion, playing Kayla Watts. A contract pilot who smuggled dinosaurs on the black market, Kayla joins forces with Owen Grady and Claire Dearing to help them track down their missing child. She later helps them and their team infiltrate Biosyn and later escapes with her life.
- Kayla Watts developed a large fan following after her debut in Jurassic World: Dominion.
Introduced in the last film of the trilogy, Kayla Watts has a lot more potential as a character. Engaging and capable, Kayla could have many more adventures after Dominion's ending, perhaps teaming up with the main characters of the upcoming film.
12 Samuel L. Jackson's Character Was Never Confirmed Dead
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Jurassic Park introduces Ray Arnold, one of Samuel L. Jackson's most underrated characters. Arnold was the chief engineer at the original Jurassic Park location and was present on the island when its security went down and the dinosaurs were set loose. He was presumably killed off-screen when he was attacked by the Velociraptors.
- Ray Arnold isn't the only Samuel L. Jackson character whom audiences insist is alive despite his apparent death. Many fans, including Jackson himself, believe that Master Mace Windu survived his apparent death and dismemberment in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Although Ray Arnold is presumed deceased at the end of the first film, he is never actually confirmed dead. In the film, the other survivors discover his disembodied arm, implying that he met a grisly fate. However, this wouldn't rule out Samuel L. Jackson returning in a future film, missing an arm but ready to fight more dinosaurs.
11 Jurassic World: Dominion's Surprise Standout Should Return
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Jurassic World Star Is Open to Franchise Return — But in a Different Role
One of the stars of Universal's Jurassic World trilogy expresses interest in returning to the dinosaur franchise but not as an actor.
Mamoudou Athie makes his Jurassic Park debut in Dominion, playing Ramsay Cole. The head of communications at Biosyn, Ramsay is concerned by his company's shady business practices, leading him to alert Dr. Ian Malcolm in hopes that he will get to the bottom of their misdoings. He later helps the main team escape the facility after the dinosaurs are set free.
- At the end of Dominion, Ramsay Cole testifies before the Senate, revealing Biosyn's misdoings.
Ramsay Cole is a surprising standout in Jurassic World: Dominion, proving himself to be a true hero by sacrificing his career and risking his life for the greater good. A character as noble as he deserves to appear in future Jurassic World films, perhaps to lend his expertise and experience to a new generation of dinosaur attack survivors.
10 Jurassic Park III's Forgotten Hero Needs Closure
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An associate professor working alongside Dr. Alan Grant, Billy Brenan (Alessandro Nivola) debuted in 2001's Jurassic Park III. Seemingly more at home in the field and out in the wild, he wanted more than to dig up dinosaur bones. However, hitting rock bottom, the paleontologist thought he found paydirt after attempting to smuggle raptor eggs off the island to fund his research. Ultimately redeeming himself as a hero, the character has yet to resurface within the films.
- Billy's model of a Velociraptor resonating chamber would make a cameo in the first episode of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.
Initially, Jurassic Park III received mixed reception before being followed up by a soft reboot with the Jurassic World movies. However, as fans embrace it as a cult classic, they wouldn't mind seeing some of its characters return. When the series last left Billy, he was being evacuated after parasailing through a flock of pterosaurs. Assumed to have survived, it would be great to see Billy, at least as a cameo, carrying on the legacy of his mentor Alan Grant while also regaling students of their adventures on Site B.
9 The Return of Paul Kirby Would Be an Enterprising Endeavour
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10 Movies That Deserve the Jurassic Park: Survival Treatment
The announcement of Jurassic Park: Survival shook up The Game Awards 2023, leaving audiences to fantasize about adaptations of other beloved movies.
Brought to life by the talented William H. Macy, Paul Kirby journeyed to Isla Sorna, searching for his son and posing as a wealthy millionaire. While Kirby Enterprises may have been fake, his love for his wife and son was very real. Paul Kirby may not have been a traditional hero, but the fact he stood up to a Spinosaurus was worth more than anything he could've written on a check.
- In early drafts of Jurassic Park III, Paul Kirby was Paul Roby, an entrepreneur who promised to donate to Dr. Grant in return for a sightseeing tour of Isla Sorna.
One of the tragedies of Jurassic Park III is how much of its arcs and groundbreaking revelations were settled off-screen, leaving audiences to question if the film was even canon. One of Jurassic Park III's most entertaining characters, it'd be fun to see what happened to him after the film. Perhaps paid hush money by Masrani, most fans wouldn't mind seeing that Kirby Enterprises became a reality, or at the very least Kirby Paint and Tile Plus, a successful franchise for home improvement needs.
8 Jurassic World's Cloning Controversy Should Have Consequences
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The granddaughter of Benjamin Lockwood, her appearance in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom established Maisie Lockwood as a clone made possible through the miracles of Jurassic Park's experiments with dinosaurs. However, in Jurassic World Dominion, her story became more complex than her DNA strands as she was born through parthenogenesis and genetically engineered by her mother to cure an unspecified genetic disorder. One of Jurassic World's most fascinating characters, in many respects, she's scarier than the dinosaurs she unleashed on the world.
- After Maisie posited that Jurassic World's dinosaurs were "just like me," a Collider critic infamously joked: "I guess Maisie eats people and destroys ecosystems."
Much of the world is aware of Maisie's story at the beginning of Jurassic World Dominion, or at least the one concocted by her grandfather. Whether Maisie is a clone or a genetically engineered marvel, her mere existence poses numerous challenging questions and potentially dangerous implications. If Jurassic World's dinosaurs allowed InGen's technology to go open-source, imagine what Maisie's DNA would do, allowing humanity to rewrite genetic codes and shape it as they wish. Maisie's story may be a bit convoluted, but it isn't over, as the rest of the world experiences fear, envy, and perhaps even hope with the technology that created her.
7 Jurassic World's Dinosaur Queenpin Was a Missed Opportunity
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In Jurassic World Dominion Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman) was a criminal contact to Lewis Dodgson and one of the masterminds behind the dinosaur black market. With a pack of relentless Atrociraptors serving as her muscle and being arrested within minutes of her introduction, she remains one of the most enigmatic characters within the franchise.
- Real-life Atrociraptors were therapod dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous and were once believed to be more closely related to Velociraptors.
As one of the main villains, it's strange that it feels as if Jurassic Park's mascot, Mr. DNA, had more screen time than Santos. With a commanding presence and a group of terrifying dinosaurs under her control, Soyona Santos had the makings of an iconic movie villain, but she never had the time to explore her character. With Dichen Lachman having written an extensive backstory for the dinosaur smuggler, there's more to explore and a need for her to evolve as a looming threat on the big screen.
6 Jurassic World 4 Should Resurrect More Than Just Its Dinosaurs
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10 Biggest Dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World Franchise, Ranked
Jurassic Park has some of the biggest animals in history gracing its movies, but some of these extinct reptiles are undeniably larger than others.
The man who started it all and spearheaded Jurassic Park, unlike his literary counterpart, John Hammond, died a "born-again naturalist" trying to protect the dinosaurs from the world who wished to exploit them. Even after passing away in The Lost World: Jurassic Park his legacy lived on throughout the series, as characters tried to carry on his spirit and reflect upon his legacy.
- Trespasser featured excerpts from John Hammond's memoir read by his actor, the late Richard Attenborough.
Through projects like Trespasser, Jurassic Park: The Game, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, audiences learned that John Hammond was a lot more complex than his larger-than-life persona let on. Filled with regrets and secrets, seeing Hammond return in a flashback or TV footage similar to how Ghostbusters: Afterlife resurrected the late Harold Ramis would make for an emotional moment. Considering how many tears were shed for John Hammond's narration at the beginning of Jurassic Park: Survival's trailer, bringing him back one last time would provide some much-needed nostalgia for Jurassic World 4.
5 Jurassic World 4 Needs to Prove Camp Cretaceous is More Than a Cartoon
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One of the many protagonists of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, this paleo-enthusiast was living his dream and coping with loss when he became one of the lucky candidates for Jurassic World's new youth program. However, after dodging dinosaurs, unraveling corporate conspiracies, and finding his way back home after a long odyssey, it seemed that the adventures of Darius Bowman were only beginning as a strange new world awaited him back on the mainland.
- Darius Bowman was among the first characters revealed to return for Netflix's Jurassic World: Chaos Theory.
When characters like Ahsoka Tano, Cad Bane, and Bo-Katan Kryze leaped into live-action on Disney+'s Star Wars shows, there were more than a few gasps as the animated series found its way into the mainstream. Unfortunately, it's become a stigma that cartoons and animated series based on movies "don't count" or don't affect the larger canon. In the case of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and the upcoming Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, it's about time that Darius Bowman got real, showed the world who he is, and ushered in the new Jurassic era.
4 Why Jurassic World 4 is Perfect for an Iconic Scientist's Sendoff
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There since the beginning, Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) helped to innovate the genetic technologies that'd bring Jurassic Park's dinosaurs back from extinction. Having served as an antagonist for the majority of the Jurassic World trilogy, he'd eventually find redemption by stopping an apocalyptic locust plague he helped to create. Shown to be motivated by his work and the infinite possibilities of genetic engineering, with his cloned creatures still on the loose, it wouldn't make sense for Dr. Wu to quietly retire now.
- In Michael Crichton's novel, Dr. Wu dies after being torn apart by Velociraptors.
Despite the chaos his work unleashed and the extremes he was willing to go to in the pursuit of progress, it's confounding that Jurassic World Dominion didn't delve deeper into making his redemption more meaningful. If Dr. Wu were to return in Jurassic World 4, it seems opportune to grant his character a heroic exit, perhaps sacrificing himself in a showdown with his own creations or even an emotional sendoff similar to John Hammond's in which he reflects on his work and all it brought into this world, both good and bad. Regardless, if this series hopes to come back after an evident extinction, perhaps it'd help to have the man who helped resurrect it all in the first place.
3 Kelly Malcolm Deserves Another Swing
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10 Coolest Dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park Movies, Ranked
The dinosaurs of the original Jurassic Park trilogy changed cinema forever by creating some of the coolest creatures to ever appear on the big screen.
Introduced in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Kelly Malcolm (Vanessa Lee Chester) was loosely based on Kelly Curtis, a character from Michael Crichton's novel. Reimagined as Ian Malcolm's daughter, she seems to have his sharp wit, clever comebacks, and a talent for gymnastics that allowed her to go toe-to-sicke-clawed-toe with a Velociraptor. While Malcolm refers to his five kids in Jurassic World Dominion and star DeWanda Wise cites Chester's performance as an inspiration, fans eagerly await a return that may never come.
- Although Kelly Malcolm wouldn't return for future films, she appeared in games like Jurassic Park Builder.
Continuing the theme of families and the extraordinary circumstances that bring them together, while nobody was planning to give Ian Malcolm a Father of the Year award, there was something satisfying about The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Seeing that the "rockstar" mathematician had a heart and a place in it for his daughter, it felt odd he seemed so distant from them in Jurassic World Dominion. After being such an influential character and one of the highlights of Jurassic Park's sequel, most would love to catch up with Kelly, seeing that Ian hasn't forgotten about her or how Site B changed them both.
2 Jurassic World Dominion Neglected One of the Series' Best Characters
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A naturalist looking to rewrite the natural history books and protect the dinosaurs of Site B, Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) proved to be one of the series' most badass female heroes. While her mobile laboratory cracked under pressure, Harding certainly didn't as she survived the horrors of Isla Sorna, took on a camp of hunters, and reunited a T-Rex family. With her love interest, Ian Malcolm, returning for future Jurassic World installments, it left audiences questioning what happened to her after the events of The Lost World: Jurassic Park.
- In Jurassic World: The Game, it is revealed that Sarah is the daughter of Jurassic Park veterinarian Gerry Harding.
With dinosaurs now on the loose and living alongside humanity, now more than ever, it seems as if Dr. Harding's expertise would be needed. With a passion for paleontology, it wouldn't be surprising to find she's still in the field as Ian continues to worry about her need to interact with some of the most dangerous animals on the planet.
1 Chaos Needs to Continue With Ian Malcolm
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One of Hammond's hand-selected experts, mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) was one of many people inspecting his resort to see if was safe and viable. Although he spent his life studying Chaos Theory and the unpredictability of the universe, he probably wouldn't have factored that dinosaurs would come to define his life. After stopping a rampaging T-Rex in San Diego and continuing to warn the world of the dangers of genetic technology, he'd once again steal the show in Jurassic World Dominion, leaving moviegoers with the hope that Goldblum would someday return to the role.
- Actor Jim Carrey auditioned for the role of Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park.
Acting as the voice of reason and an expert in chaos, there's never been a Jurassic Park movie where Ian Malcolm hasn't been entertaining. Whether relegated to a brief cameo or headlining as the lead, Ian Malcolm proved to be quirky, charming, and probably the only person to call out the absurdity of making a promise to a Velociraptor. If anyone could make a fourth Jurassic World film worthwhile, it's Malcolm, and true to his infamous lectures on Chaos Theory, it'd be the kind of surprise nobody would expect as the movie stomps towards its 2025 release.
Jurassic Park
Scientists bring back dinosaurs for an amusement park, but everyone learns that the dinosaurs cannot be contained in the Jurassic Park franchise.
- Created by
- Michael Crichton , Steven Spielberg
- First Film
- Jurassic Park
- Latest Film
- Jurassic World Dominion
- Latest TV Show
- Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Jurassic World: Chaos Theory
- Cast
- Sam Neill , Laura Dern , Jeff Goldblum , BD Wong , Chris Pratt , Bryce Dallas Howard
