‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Confirms New Main Character, Abandons Legacy Ensemble

in Movies & TV

Ellen, Alan, and Lex looking at the T-Rex in 'Jurassic Park'

Credit: Universal Studios

Jurassic World 4 (2025) news just keeps on coming, but with Universal Pictures fast-tracking the movie for a July 2, 2025 release date, we’re hardly surprised. It’s not the only Jurassic Park/Jurassic World sequel in development, though: there’s the animated series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024) that’s heading to Netflix later this year, and the upcoming action-adventure video game Jurassic Park: Survival (TBA).

And now, yet another Jurassic World sequel has also unveiled a brand-new trailer.

While there’s no casting/character news for the upcoming film (with the exception of one franchise star who appeared in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, no one from the previous films is expected to return), we know that Darius Bowman (Paul-Mikél Williams) from Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020 — 2022) will return in Chaos Theory, which is set between Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).

Darius Bowman in the 'Jurassic World: Chaos Theory' trailer
Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation / Amblin Entertainment / Netflix

Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel May Bring One of These Characters Back From the Dead

But what really has our attention is Jurassic Park: Survival, whose main character is entirely new to the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World franchise. Dr. Maya Joshi is an InGen scientist who has been “unable to evacuate Isla Nublar.” While the trailer is mostly cinematic (there’s some gameplay footage at the end), it’s far more exciting than the bite-sized Chaos Theory teaser. The game also takes place just twenty-four hours after Jurassic Park (1993).

Throughout the trailer for Survival, Dr. Maya Joshi, who’s sporting a yellow shirt that obviously pays homage to Dennis Nedry’s yellow anorak in the 1993 film, desperately goes from one iconic Jurassic Park location to the next in an attempt to evade the island’s deadly prehistoric inhabitants (her shirt could be why the Dilophosaurus won’t leave her alone!).

Check out the trailer for Survival below, per Jurassic World YouTube:

Related: ‘Jurassic Park: Survival’ Trailer Breakdown

However, as the character is new to the series (although she now technically exists “off-screen” in the first film), we don’t know anything about her. We know she’s an InGen scientist, but her role at the island’s genetic laboratories is a mystery — although she undoubtedly helped create the park’s genetically engineered dinosaurs alongside geneticist Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) in some shape or form.

This could lend to Joshi’s character development throughout the game, as she may face some kind of moral dilemma and ultimately try to right a few wrongs. Maybe she’ll try to stop Biosyn mercenaries — who might also be lurking in the jungle now that the island is no longer occupied by InGen — from recovering Dennis Nedry’s lost embryos, which we last saw in a Barbasol shaving cream container gathering mud way back in 1993.

Gallimimus stampeding over a jungle explorer in the 'Jurassic Park: Survival' game trailer
Credit: Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment / Saber Interactive

Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Finally Gets R-Rated Treatment With New Short Film

With Survival taking place just one day after the film, the Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight)/embryos storyline will likely play a part. The official website states there are “other surprising threats” in the game, so it’s possible Biosyn will be trying to recover the canister. Having human enemies would also break the monotony of constantly trying to outrun dinosaurs all the time. Many fans are already comparing the game to Alien: Isolation (2014), which, despite focusing on Xenomorphs, also features human enemies and deadly droids.

With “a fully realized Isla Nublar” on offer, Survival may also feature never-before-seen Jurassic Park locations. As for returning characters from the 1993 film, nothing has been confirmed. But when you consider the fact those who survived — Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), Lex Murphy (Ariana Richards), and Tim Murphy (Joe Mazzello) — have already fled the island by chopper, it’s very unlikely.

That said, the game has already confirmed the return of a character presumed dead in the film, leaving it entirely possible for characters such as Robert Muldoon and Ray Arnold, played by Bob Peck and Samuel L Jackson, respectively, to return.

Dr. Maya Joshi hiding in the kitchen in the 'Jurassic Park: Survival' game trailer
Credit: Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment / Saber Interactive

Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Sequel Could Mean ‘Jurassic World’ Doesn’t Exist in New Timeline

Per the official website, here’s the synopsis for Jurassic Park: Survival:

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.

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.

The Dilophosaurus in the 'Jurassic Park: Survival' game trailer
Credit: Universal City Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment / Saber Interactive

Related: Every Upcoming ‘Jurassic Park’ Installment Confirmed

The Jurassic franchise is on the verge on its third heyday following its launch with the first film in 1993, which resulted in two sequels, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Jurassic Park III (2001), and the Jurassic World rebranding in 2015.

The upcoming animated series Chaos Theory will premiere on Netflix later this year, while Survival will finally reunite fans with the Jurassic Park era. Jurassic World 4 will arrive in theaters on July 2, 2025. Meanwhile, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Jurassic World Live Tour, and Universal Studios’ Jurassic theme park attractions continue to wow guests.

Do you think Dr. Maya Joshi will be an interesting Jurassic newcomer? Let Inside the Magic know your thoughts in the comments down below!

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