Credit: Universal PicturesJurassic World 4 has been the talk of the town over the past few weeks since its announcement. Rumored to be titled Jurassic City (TBA), the film will be the seventh installment in the series and is said to be the beginning of “a new Jurassic era.” It is also rumored that the film will revolve around “a human-dinosaur hybrid serum.”
Meanwhile, there’s a second Jurassic sequel in the works, which will follow on directly from the original 1993 film.
Jurassic City is being directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla 2014 and Rogue One), with a screenplay by David Koepp (Jurassic Park and The Lost World). Jurassic World producers Patrick Cowley and Frank Marshall are also back, while Steven Spielberg will serve as EP.
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However, fans are eager to see certain characters back in action. It’s unlikely we’ll see anyone from the 1993 film again (Jurassic World Dominion nicely rounds off their stories), but as Jurassic City is (presumably) a sequel, it’s reasonable to expect someone to return.
Enter Kayla Watts, who’s played by DeWanda Wise in the 2022 sequel. Wise’s character is an ex-air force pilot who works for the ruthless bioengineering corporation Biosyn (but not without an eventual moral crisis), and she’s easily one of the best characters in Dominion.
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Interestingly, the world-weary pilot Watts, who flies captured dinosaurs to Biosyn’s facility in the Italy Dolomites, channels Han Solo and Indiana Jones at the same time (both of whom are played by Harrison Ford). Who wouldn’t want to see her return?
In a recent interview with ComicBook.com while promoting her new film Imaginary (2024), naturally, the new Jurassic film came up in conversation. When asked if she’d be reprising her role as Kayla Watts in the upcoming sequel, Wise, 39, simply said, “I do not know.”
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It would be a shame not to see Watts return to the fold, whether she’s reprising her role in the new film or even lending her voice in the upcoming animated series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024), which takes place before Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
Unfortunately, none of the actors from previous films are expected to return. In a recent interview with EXTRA, Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays Claire Dearing in all three Jurassic World movies, said she’s excited to see “new generations of actors be a part of that story.”
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However, Universal Pictures has yet to confirm any casting (although a well-known Marvel star is now reportedly in talks with the studio to lead the film), so some actors may return to the fold, whether it’s the Jurassic Park crew (Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum) or the Jurassic World ensemble (Chris Pratt, Isabella Sermon, and so on).
But seeing Watts back in the cockpit would be a very wise move (no pun intended). So here’s to hoping she’ll be back in some shape or form, whether it’s in the new film, Chaos Theory, or that long-awaited live-action Jurassic television series we’re still waiting to hear about.
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For now, we’ll just have to make do with watching the actress face off against evil teddy bears instead of dinosaurs. Imaginary will be released in theaters on March 8.
Jurassic World 4 will be released on July 2, 2025.
Lately, the Jurassic franchise is the gift that keeps on giving.
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020 — 2022) is getting a follow-up in the form of another animated series titled Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024), which is heading to Netflix this year. We’ve also seen the trailer for the upcoming first-person, action-adventure video game Jurassic Park: Survival (TBA), which takes place directly after the 1993 film.
But movies, television shows, and video games aren’t the only way to get up, close, and personal with InGen’s dinosaurs. Be sure to check out Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Jurassic World Live Tour, and the Universal Studios theme park attractions such as Jurassic Park River Adventure and Jurassic World: The Ride.
Would you like to see DeWanda Wise reprise her role as Kayla Watts in the new Jurassic World movie? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!