‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Co-Writer Explains Why Ian Malcolm Didn’t Have a Larger Role

One of the selling points of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was the return of Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm, a character who last appeared in The Lost World. While fans were thrilled to see the character return after a 20-year absence, many were hoping he would have a more substantial role. Co-writer Colin Trevorrow confirmed that he respected the characters too much to arbitrarily give Malcolm a larger role.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

When the film opens, a congressional hearing is attempting to determine how to handle the fact that the island upon which Jurassic World was built faced an impending volcanic explosion, essentially guaranteeing the remaining dinosaurs would be killed. Malcolm spoke at this hearing to confess he thought the animals shouldn’t be saved, as nature never intended them to be there in the first place. The scene was revisited at the end of the film, though this was Malcolm’s only appearance.

“We never did. It always felt really cheap to me. It always felt fake,” Trevorrow shared with Empire when asked if there was a possibility of Malcolm playing a larger role in earlier drafts. “It felt like a construct of screenwriters trying to figure out how to fit in a character they love. I have so much respect for those characters I just wouldn’t want them doing anything I don’t think they’d naturally do.”

The Jurassic World films have served as both a continuation of Jurassic Park and also a somewhat reboot of the series, as the focus has shifted to all-new characters. Goldblum marked the second actor from the original film to join the new sequels, with B.D. Wong appearing as one of Jurassic World‘s chief researchers after debuting in Jurassic Park as a scientist helping create the park’s dinosaurs.

Trevorrow also recently teased that this film offered some closure to Malcolm, while Jurassic World 3 could see the return of more franchise staples.

“We felt like this was [Ian] Malcolm’s return… this was his… let him have his moment,” Trevorrow shared with MTV’s Seen It, Spill It. “I feel that way about everyone, especially Laura [Dern]… she never got to have her own movie. That identified as being something that’s important. We just wanted to put the spotlight on [Goldblum].”

Dern’s only return to the franchise was a brief scene in Jurassic Park III, though her role was also quite minimal. Hopefully a future installment can find a way to organically unite the series’ stars throughout the entire franchise.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is in theaters now. Jurassic World 3 is slated to hit theaters on June 11, 2021.

Do you wish Goldblum had a larger role in the film or should the franchise leave the character behind? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Empire]