Jurassic Park alum Jeff Goldblum has enjoyed four outings in the sci-fi blockbuster film series so far.
First appearing as the weary mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm in Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1993 masterpiece, Jurassic Park, Goldblum became an instant hit with audiences, thanks to his perfect balance of seriousness and humor, and, as John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) puts it in the film, “A deplorable excess of personality.”
Goldblum reprised his role as Malcolm in 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park before taking a 21-year hiatus from the franchise.
He eventually returned for two brief scenes in the 2018 sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and then secured a more prominent role in the most recent film, Jurassic World Dominion (2022), alongside fellow returning legacy actors Sam Neill (Dr. Alan Grant) and Laura Dern (Dr. Ellie Sattler).
But will Goldblum be returning in the upcoming sequel, Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)? Unfortunately, it seems Dominion was his final outing as everyone’s favorite chaos theory expert. In a new interview with Total Film, the Independence Day (1996) actor reveals what he thinks happens to his beloved Jurassic character after the credits roll on the latest film.
Related: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ May Force Several Fans To Exit Movie Theaters in Blind Rage
“I think Ian Malcolm may have ridden off into the sunset,” Goldblum said. “Maybe. Because this next one [Jurassic World Rebirth] – my friend Scarlett Johansson and my new friend Jonathan Bailey from Wicked, I think, are taking up the reins. And I can’t wait to see what they do. I think that’s a good idea.”
Jurassic World Rebirth will indeed be led by an all-new cast, which includes Scarlett Johansson (Zora Bennett), Jonathan Bailey (Dr. Henry Loomis), and Mahershala Ali (Duncan Kincaid). With the film also touted as the start of “a new Jurassic era,” there seems to be no room for characters from previous films, and none of them expected to return.
Speaking about his time on the 2022 sequel, which received mixed to negative reviews from audiences and critics despite grossing over $1 billion worldwide, Goldblum remained positive, saying, “I had such a good time on it. I enjoyed working on it and enjoyed trying to make it good. I think it sold a bunch of tickets. But, you know… [laughs] Everybody’s got an opinion about it. It’s tough to make a good movie.”
Related: ‘Jurassic Park’ Releasing Official Never-Before-Seen Version of 1993 Film
Jurassic World Dominion came under heavy fire for its lack of focus on dinosaurs living on the mainland among humans — a storytelling element that wasn’t just promised in the closing scenes of its predecessor, Fallen Kingdom, but also in the four-year marketing campaign that followed, which included video games, animated shows, and two short films.
Whether or not Jurassic World Rebirth can turn things around for the franchise remains to be seen, but it will likely take an enormous bite out of the global box office regardless. Either way, don’t expect to hear any stark warnings from Dr. Ian Malcolm this time around. Although we’ve no doubt that there will be plenty of running and screaming.
When Can I Watch Jurassic World Rebirth?
Jurassic World Rebirth will be released in theaters worldwide on July 2, 2025.
Check out the film’s new logo below, per the official Jurassic World X (Twitter) account:
Jurassic World Rebirth. In theaters July 2025.
Jurassic World Rebirth. In theaters July 2025. pic.twitter.com/CLUdLQPPfO
— Jurassic World (@JurassicWorld) August 29, 2024
Jurassic World Rebirth stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Endgame), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer), Rupert Friend (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Mahershala Ali (The Green Book), Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (Dead Boy Detectives), Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez), Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).
Will you still watch Jurassic World Rebirth without Jeff Goldblum? Let Inside the Magic know your thoughts in the comments down below!