How 'Jurassic Park' Character Survived Off-Screen Death in 1993 Film for Sequel Return

While the Jurassic franchise is preparing to unleash Jurassic World Rebirth (2025), unlike many other long-running franchises, this one has yet to commit one of the biggest clichés a lot of modern-day movies are guilty of — bringing characters back from the dead.

This is all the more surprising now that it’s introduced human cloning into the mix. But there are many off-screen deaths throughout the six movies the franchise could take advantage of, even in the original 1993 film alone: chief security engineer Ray Arnold (Samuel L Jackson), game hunter Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck), and computer programmer Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight).

The only character in that film whose death cannot be questioned is InGen lawyer Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero).

Whether or not any of these characters will ever return remains to be seen, but considering there are four Jurassic sequels in development, we wouldn’t be surprised.

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Either way, there are many other ways the franchise could bring back fan-favorite characters who have been killed off, even ones beyond the first film, with the most obvious method being through the use of a prequel. Or, you know, some good old-fashioned retconning, which requires no explanation (but audaciously demands a greater suspension of disbelief).

Enter the upcoming first-person action-adventure video game “Jurassic Park: Survival” (TBA). A direct sequel to the 1993 film, it takes place twenty four hours after the collapse of Jurassic Park to find a scientist named Dr. Maya Joshi stranded on Isla Nublar after failing to evacuate the island with the rest of the InGen crew. Clever girl? Not really.

Related: ‘Jurassic’ Star Killed in ‘The Lost World’ Returning for ‘Jurassic World 4’

Though it’s unlikely we’ll see characters like Muldoon or Arnold return (unless it’s a flashback or recap of the film), “Survival” has already brought a familiar face back from the dead (albeit a rather scaly one): the Velociraptor that was locked inside the cold storage room in the kitchen by Lex Murphy (Ariana Richards) and Tim Murphy (Joe Mazzello).

Needless to say, that dinosaur became a prehistoric popsicle, but now, the game has retconned this off-screen death, as revealed in the official trailer which you can check out below, courtesy of Jurassic World YouTube:

Related: ‘Jurassic World’ Sequel Trailer Arrives With Brand-New Dinosaurs

The question is, how did the raptor get out? Well, we know these dinosaurs figured out how to open doors, but in the film, we see Lex fix the latch on. Call us crazy, but the last time we checked, raptors don’t possess telekinetic abilities, however intelligent they may be.

There’s really only one way this raptor has been freed. The shot in the trailer (or image below) shows the door slightly ajar with the latch intact, which suggests that someone has opened it from the outside. Dr. Maya Joshi, perhaps? Or some unfortunate cannon fodder?

Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel May Bring One Character Back From the Dead

We’re going to lean into our Dr. Maya Joshi theory.

Whether she hears banging on the other side of the door and thought there was a person trapped inside, or simply needs some food at some point in the game, we know that InGen employees have a penchant for releasing dinosaurs from captivity. Wanting to enjoy dessert also seems to be a great way to attract raptors on that island. Just ask Lex and Tim.

Or maybe the raptor got out by itself somehow — life always finds a way.

When Is “Jurassic Park: Survival” Out?

There’s no release date for “Jurassic Park: Survival”, however, some sources claim it will be released before the end of 2025. For our full guide on the game, click here.

“Return to Isla Nublar the day after the events of the beloved 1993 Jurassic Park film in an original adventure 65 million years in the making,” the official synopsis reads.

“Survive thrilling first-person action as InGen scientist Dr. Maya Joshi, who was unable to evacuate Isla Nublar in this single-player action-adventure game and discover a never-before-told story. Through thrilling encounters, experience the wonder and danger of dinosaurs, each with their own distinct and adaptive behaviors brought to life by John Hammond’s vision.”

The game will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Are you excited about “Jurassic Park: Survival”? Let us know in the comments down below!