Jurassic World Rebirth is the start of a new era for the franchise, and the upcoming entry may correct one of the franchise’s biggest problems by executing something that both trilogies avoided. Although Universal has confirmed Jurassic World 4 is a reboot of the beloved franchise, Rebirth will act as a continuation of the previous events in the Jurassic Park timeline. Unsurprisingly, this means that there will be certain consistencies between Rebirth and past stories. However, with one key detail, Jurassic World Rebirth can make a much-needed and bold change.
With Jurassic World Rebirth‘s title implying a huge relaunch, the franchise demands some long overdue risks, turning Jurassic World 4 in a completely different direction from its predecessors. With the details of its story somewhat vague, there are several possibilities for Jurassic World 4‘s shocking twist. However, one fascinating possibility is that the movie could subvert the expectations raised by Jurassic World Rebirth‘s impressive cast and could pull off a shocking main character death that will ultimately raise the stakes for the franchise as a whole.
Jurassic World Rebirth Has The Chance Of Finally Killing Off One Of The Heroes
Minor Character Deaths Don’t Feel As Important To The Plot
It would be wrong to say that there have been zero deaths in Jurassic World, or even throughout the Jurassic Park films. In fact, the Jurassic Park kill count across the six movies totals a staggering 83 deaths, with five of those occurring within the original movie. Although Jurassic Park appears to have fewer kills in comparison to the later installments, what sets Spielberg’s classic apart is that these character deaths are integral to the story. Some of the franchise’s most iconic moments are on the strength of Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) and Donald Gennaro’s (Martin Ferrero) deaths during the first film.
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Will Jurassic World Rebirth return to Isla Nublar?
Producer Frank Marshall recently confirmed that Jurassic World Rebirth had wrapped filming, not only sharing an image of a hat with a new design for the Jurassic World franchise, but also having tagged the Margaritaville brand to the post. Though just a humorous nod to the Universal CityWalk in the 2015 legacy sequel, I do think the fact that the Margaritaville restaurant was part of the operating Jurassic World could see Rebirth bring the story back to Isla Nublar, especially since one of the movie’s first images is that of Mahershala Ali standing in a facility-like area while holding a flare, an image very reminiscent of Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire as she let the T. rex out in the hopes of fighting the Indominous rex. That said, with the movie’s plot synopsis saying the characters will be stranded on an isolated island with a decades-old mystery, I think it would be more interesting for Rebirth to return to Isla Sorna.
While these fatalities have an impact, the heroes’ constant survival does diminish the stakes and consequentially makes the danger feel somewhat diminished. Jurassic World Dominion creates a major problem, as by the time the sixth movie premiered, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard’s characters felt almost invulnerable, removing any stakes from the spectacular action. Jurassic World Rebirth faces an intriguing opportunity to redefine the franchise, changing expectations and introducing elements of danger that disrupt the audience’s sense of security. The best way to do this is to kill off a main protagonist.
Jurassic World Rebirth Killing Off A Major Character Would Raise The Stakes For Sequels
Jurassic World Seriously Needs To Reinvent Itself
Potentially the most obvious weakness within the Jurassic story is the interchangeable and repetitive structure across all six movies, which essentially results in Jurassic Park telling the same story six times. After 31 years of adventures alongside the dinosaurs, especially after the critical issues faced by Jurassic World Dominion, Jurassic World Rebirth is under more pressure than ever to revitalize the franchise. This means that something dramatic is needed to secure the series’ longevity.
In a similar vein, the sense of uncertainty would force the remaining characters to confront their own mortality, which can be beneficial to driving the plot forward and instrumental to character growth.
There are plenty of avenues that Jurassic World Rebirth could take to raise the stakes for the sequels, but killing off a major character seems to be the most practical choice. By committing to this, it will create a more suspenseful viewing experience. The characters will be more vulnerable, and the threats posed by the dinosaurs will feel far more immediate. The sense of uncertainty would also force the remaining characters to confront their own mortality, potentially giving the new installment an existential edge that’s been lacking from the increasingly cartoonish sequels.
Jurassic World Rebirth’s Impressive Cast Means It Can Easily Have A Shocking Death
Jurassic World Rebirth Needs To Enact A Shocking Death Respectfully
Jurassic World Rebirth‘s cast is incredibly impressive, with individuals such as Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali all signed onto the project. Having so many big names arguably increases the likelihood of a shocking death in the seventh film, as some characters may be inessential to the overarching plot of the next trilogy. Furthermore, the unexpected twist of losing such a huge star would subvert many of the audience’s initial expectations of the reboot, perhaps making such a twist even more tempting.
It is also important to recognize that the Jurassic franchise has become increasingly family-friendly and an R-rated Jurassic World sequel could destroy Spielberg’s vision. Jurassic World Rebirth should not present this tool of storytelling in a distressing way, but rather should opt to focus on a single, more poignant death towards the end of the film, rather than a slasher-style death during a generic fight. It seems reasonable that the death of a major character would transpire after a high-stakes chase, or after a final showdown. Whatever the circumstances, it should have the emotional heft that such a significant moment deserves.