Secondary Jurassic Park Characters That Should Return To The Franchise

A sequel to Jurassic World is coming, no doubt about that at all. Even before the surprise box office success of the fourth film in the Jurassic Park franchise, director Colin Trevorrow stated that Jurassic World was meant to start a new trilogy (even if he isn’t directing the future sequel). While the fourth film contained plenty of nods to the original Jurassic Park and reintegrated the Dr. Henry Wu character back into the fold, future Jurassic sequels will have even more opportunities to build upon the more tangible mythology established in Jurassic World. Spielberg, Trevorrow, and company are taking their time to develop Jurassic World II (Jurassic Park V!), potentially aiming for an initial draft by this August according to some sources. Besides the assured return of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong), and possibly Barry (Omar Sy) and/or Lowery Cruthers (Jake Johnson), I wanted to suggest a few secondary characters from previous Jurassic films that deserve another chance to tango with dinosaurs. Note: Ellie Sattler, Alan Grant, and Ian Malcolm aren’t coming back. We need to let them go. Haven’t they been through enough?

1. Sarah Harding

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“What bothers you is that I’m not afraid of this place and you are.”

Played by Julianne Moore in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Sarah Harding is one of the only characters in the Jurassic franchise I imagine not completely scarred by her experience, being a behavioral paleontologist and all. Unlike her main squeeze, Dr. Ian Malcolm, Harding understands and accepts the unpredictable nature of these formally extinct creatures. If anyone deserves a second shot in this franchise it's her.

2. Lex Murphy

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“I am not a computer nerd. I prefer to be called a hacker.”

Lex Murphy, played by Ariana Richards, saved the day in Jurassic Park with her technological expertise. Although she survived going toe-to-toe with velociraptors and the Tyrannosaurs Rex on Isla Nublar, she still seems invested in the future of her grandfather’s legacy as evidenced by her brief appearance in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I would love for her character to return as an adult, putting her full-blown technopagan skills to use to take down a more shadowy InGen hinted at by the end of Jurassic World.

3. Tim Murphy

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“They're, uh... they're flocking this way.”

Actor Joseph Mazzello has been the most vocal about his desire to return to the franchise. Like his sister Lex, Tim Murphy faced the most dangerous predators in Jurassic Park and lived (he also got electrocuted to boot). He was the original Jurassic fanboy (sorry Lowery) and I bet his experience on the island emboldened him continue studying dinosaurs and also his grandfather’s work. Seeing Tim’s perspective, now all grown up, would be a unique addition to any future sequels.

4. Nick Van Owen

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“Hey we came here to watch. You came to strip-mine the place.”

Vince Vaughn is a big star now, but I bet he could slip back into the role of Nick Van Owen, the sleazy environmentalist and saboteur in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, with ease. After his adventures on Isla Sorna I would hope Van Owen continued his Greenpeace efforts and perhaps even protested the opening of the new theme park in Jurassic World. Now that Isla Nublar is ground zero for a potentially future-filled dinosaur world, there’s plenty of reasons to get him back for another adventure.

5. Vivian Krill

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“Sorry, I'm getting new information. Everything is fine.”

Frankly, I feel like Vivian Krill (played by the effervescent Lauren Lapkus) was severely underutilized in Jurassic World. Other than her hilarious exit, her role was defined by the plot, fielding relevant information and keeping her cool as the park descended into chaos. Her knowledge as one of the main control room operators seems invaluable in light of the park’s collapse. I want to see more of her story.