Credit: Universal PicturesJurassic World Rebirth (2025) has been out in theaters for just under two weeks. While it’s making a fortune worldwide (reportedly $409.2 million against its $180 million budget), there’s no escaping the fact that it is the most divisive installment in the entire franchise.
The fanbase has been torn down the middle. Some enjoy it; others hate it.
But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that the main dinosaur villain known as the Distortus Rex (or D-Rex) — a mutant creature inspired by the Xenomorph from Alien, the Rancor from Star Wars‘ Return of the Jedi, and, of course, a T-Rex — was completely wasted, as it appears only in the film’s opening sequence and at the very end of the third act.
The D-Rex’s Lack of Screen Time in Rebirth
There are many things wrong with Jurassic World Rebirth, but had the D-Rex been used more — it was, after all, given a lot of attention in the marketing — it could have made up for some of the film’s shortfalls.
The creature is terrifying — the fact that its tiny forelimbs (it walks on its giant ones) are positioned directly under its huge mouth so that it can pass its prey upwards makes one shudder, and the whole thing just looks like something out of a bad dream.
But the D-Rex is ill-conceived and never explained. The only thing we learn about it is that it’s some kind of failed genetic experimentation as a result of InGen scientists trying to create hybrid dinosaurs for Jurassic World, and that it escaped its lab enclosure. That’s it.
Related: ‘Jurassic’ TV Series Will Continue ‘Dominion’ Storyline Despite ‘Rebirth’s Massive Retcon
The D-Rex Has Officially Returned
Fortunately, Jurassic fans will be pleased to know that the D-Rex has returned.
Those familiar with the popular augmented reality-based mobile app game “Jurassic World: Alive” — in which players can “collect” dinosaurs — will know that the mutant dinosaur was added as a unique wild card creature on July 3, following Rebirth‘s theatrical release. Several other dinosaurs seen in the film have also been added to the game.
Players can even pit the D-Rex in battles against other dinosaurs — which is sure to appease fans who walked out of the new film disappointed that there was no epic third-act dinosaur battle, something we’ve seen in almost every Jurassic film since the original in 1993.
Whether the creature will appear in future Jurassic installments, such as another sequel or even the animated part of the franchise, remains to be seen.
Jurassic World Rebirth is out in theaters now. Watch the official trailer below:
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).
What did you think of Rebirth? Sound off in the comments!