In the mid-to-late 2010s, Chris Pratt established himself as one of the highest-grossing lead actors in movie history. His work as Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe obviously played a key role there, but Pratt added another high-profile franchise to his resume during this time. He became the (human) face of Jurassic World, a record-breaking box office success that spawned a trilogy of new dino blockbusters. Each installment Pratt led earned over $1 billion worldwide, so Universal wasn’t going to just keep it on the shelf. Last summer saw the release of Jurassic World Rebirth, which saw Scarlett Johansson replace Pratt as the lead. Johansson seems primed to lead another new entry, but fans are wondering if Pratt could return at some point.
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During an appearance on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, Pratt addressed the possibility of coming back to the Jurassic World franchise to reprise his character of Owen Grady. “Maybe, yeah. I think so. That would be awesome,” he said. “I love that character, I love the team, I love Universal. Love Scarlett. I think that would be epic. We’d just have to find a way to do it in a way that honors the stories that we told the first three times.”
Will Chris Pratt Return for Another Jurassic World Movie?
Nothing has been officially dated yet, but reports indicate Universal is in the process of putting together another Jurassic World film. Emboldened by the commercial performance of Rebirth (which earned $869.1 million worldwide), the studio remains confident there’s still a large audience for these movies. The main Rebirth trio of Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey is “expected” to return, as is director Gareth Edwards. Details beyond that are slim as fans wait for confirmation from the studio, so it remains to be seen if a Pratt return is in the cards.
Jurassic World Rebirth doesn’t even mention Owen Grady by name, as the franchise turned the page to tell a whole new story. That would imply there’s no longer room for Owen, but things can change. The original Jurassic World trilogy made headlines by featuring Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, and Laura Dern, so there’s precedent for bringing back familiar faces. However, as Pratt notes, an Owen return would have to be done in a way that feels organic. Jurassic World Dominion provided a nice sense of closure for the character, as he reunited his raptor friend Blue with her daughter and was now enjoying a peaceful life with his family. Someone with Owen’s dinosaur expertise could always be helpful, though there’d have to be a good reason for him to jump back into action.
Unless there’s a natural spot for Owen, it’s best if the Jurassic World filmmakers don’t bring him back. Unlike other big-budget franchises like Star Wars and Marvel, Jurassic isn’t as character-driven. The main attraction has and always will be the dinosaurs, so an argument can be made that it ultimately doesn’t matter who the human characters are as long as there are some for the dinosaurs to chase around. The fact that the property has remained a consistent box office draw for decades while cycling through main casts multiple times illustrates audiences aren’t beholden to specific characters. There will always be love and nostalgia for Alan Grant, Ian Malcolm, and Ellie Sattler, but fans have shown they’ll show up regardless of whose face is on the poster.
Given that we never saw Star-Lord and Black Widow interact in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be fun to see Pratt and Johansson join forces for a Jurassic World movie. The two would likely have strong chemistry with each other, as their characters could bond over their experiences of surviving dinosaur carnage. In that sense, it’d be nice if Edwards and Co. found a way to bring Owen back, but again, they shouldn’t force anything. Though it’s still a box office force, the Jurassic World franchise continues to earn mixed reviews, as critics are underwhelmed by the narrative. The last thing the next film needs to do is shoehorn in characters for no real reason.
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Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
