Jurassic World Dominion’s DeWanda Wise has recently spoken about the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in big-budget blockbusters. The third and final film in the Jurassic World trilogy, and the sixth film in the overall Jurassic franchise, Dominion picks up four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar as was depicted in 2015’s Jurassic World. The film will depict a world in which dinosaurs both live and hunt in the world at large, and will see humanity’s dominance as the planet’s apex predator hang in the balance. Original Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum, are set to reprise their respective roles of Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Satler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm.
Wise, who is probably best known for her appearance in Spike Lee’s Netflix comedy/drama series She’s Gotta Have It, also starred in the 2021 Western The Harder They Fall alongside Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba and Zazie Beetz. The actor is also set to make her Jurassic World franchise debut in this year’s Dominion. Wise plays Kayla Watts, a pilot who teams up with Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing.
In the lead-up Dominion’s theatrical release next month, DeWise spoke with Comicbook about her role in the film and spoke about the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in major tentpole franchises. Confirming that her character was bisexual, Wise explained that it was “important to me that we continue to expand the conversation” about LGBTQ+ characters. Check out her comments below:
"It's important, and it's also important to me that we continue to expand the conversation beyond looking for the kiss. If you're queer, you're queer ... I said what I said. All the time. You don't turn it off. It doesn't matter if your partner's in the cockpit with you. It just is a statement of being ... So that was one of the things just in her DNA, in her dino DNA, ensuring that she is who she is. Kayla is bi, and that's just, it is what it is."
Creating characters that more effectively and accurately represent contemporary society’s diversity is slowly becoming more commonplace in major blockbusters. However, Hollywood is still a long way from making this a completely normalized and accepted practice. It is also a step forward that has been met with some measure of resistance, particularly in relation to more traditional international movie markets. Most recently, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was banned in Egypt and Saudi Arabia for its inclusion of an LGBTQ+ storyline in relation to America Chavez's mothers. Marvel's Eternals was also met with similar backlash for its inclusion of the franchise's first openly gay superhero in Brian Tyree Henry's Phastos.
It is not yet clear whether Jurassic World Dominion will face similar pressures and reactions in some markets as a result of Wise’s bisexual character. Given that the issues raised by the recent Doctor Strange sequel relate to a small, 12-second section of dialogue, a potential ban may be something that Universal Studios are already preparing itself for. Regardless, Wise is clearly proud to be bringing queer representation to a major franchise like Jurassic World Dominion, which is set to be an epic finale to the saga when it releases on June 10.
Source: Comicbook
