Why Fans Are Afraid To Watch Jurassic World: Dominion

Blockbuster "Jurassic World: Dominion" has been promoted as not just the final film of the "Jurassic World" trilogy, but the last part of the story which began way back in "Jurassic Park." Director Colin Trevorrow commented in 2016 that he'd always planned for there to be a strong conclusion to the "Jurassic World" franchise: "I knew the end. I knew where I wanted it to go" (via Jurassic Outpost). The new film will follow up on the cliffhanger of "Fallen Kingdom," and the ramifications of the Isla Nubar dinosaurs now co-existing with humans.

"Dominion" also features the return of "Jurassic Park" characters Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), and Ellie Sadler (Laura Dern) to the franchise. Malcolm appeared in "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," but this is the first time since the original 1993 film that all three characters will appear together on screen, which will be reason enough for fans of the Spielberg adventure classic to purchase a theater ticket.

However, some franchise devotees are nervous about the story of the new "Jurassic World" film. Here's why they're not so sure about seeing it in theaters.

u/Loonyluna26 writes that they should be excited about "Jurassic World: Dominion," especially considering "Jurassic Park" is their favorite film. But they told the r/JurassicPark subreddit that "I'm so anxious and nervous that they will kill off the trio like they did in 'Independence Day 2.'" u/Potential_Ad5058 agreed, writing, "I want to see a dino adventure movie with the OG and new cast, not a 'Game of Thrones'-like massacre."

It's hard to blame them for feeling concerned about whether the central, older trio of "Jurassic Park" will make it out of the final entry of the franchise. Trevorrow did indicate to Den of Geek that "Dominion" would give the older characters real stakes: "We needed to show them the respect of putting them on a true adventure. Putting them in danger, sending them out into the story in a way that was equal to the characters that we built in 'Jurassic World.'"

However, some Redditors, like u/Amazing-Garage9892, believed that "I [sic] rather have someone like Ian dying in a very heroic and genuinly [sic] emotional way than have all protagonist [sic] survive cause ya know, plot." Viewers may just have to see for themselves whether or not Malcolm, Grant, and Sadler will make it through the whole movie.

Spoilers for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Independence Day: Resurgence" follow. 

Redditors unsure about how "Jurassic World: Dominion" will treat the characters from previous "Jurassic" entries have good reason to wonder, given the history of recent legacy sequels. "Independence Day: Resurgence," "Tron: Legacy," and the Disney "Star Wars" trilogy each feature the deaths of characters from previous movies. The tragic losses of President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) are intended to generate stakes and galvanize filmgoers. However, if that character otherwise has little to do in the movie, as with Whitmore in the "Independence Day" sequel, their inclusion in the story can feel cheap and manipulative, let alone if the script kills them off.

Bringing back characters for later franchise entries isn't inherently a bad thing, but it has to matter to the story. Flickering Myth argued in 2019 that legacy characters "should no longer be used as some sort of bait to get the audience into the cinema, with story and quality now outranking any kind of nostalgic feeling." "Jurassic World: Dominion" will have to prove to audiences that the "Jurassic Park" characters belong in the film, and aren't merely there so older viewers will feel goosebumps upon seeing them.