Why did Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcolm appear in sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,but not the first movie in the new trilogy, Jurassic World? Goldblum starred in 1993's Jurassic Park as Ian Malcolm, a mathematician invited to the original park to investigate any issues the attractions could have. He returned four-years-later as the main protagonist in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, but was then absent from 2001's Jurassic Park III. Goldblum and the other original trilogy cast members were also not included in the Jurassic World reboot.
Malcolm specialized in chaos theory - the idea that tiny variations in the world can cause giant, unpredictable effects. In the first Jurassic Park, Malcolm applied chaos theory to warn of the park's threat, correctly predicting the horror that befell the movie's characters. When the new theme park is officially open in Jurassic World, the same fate awaits the tourists: a series of catastrophic deaths occur after a genetically modified dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, escapes and wreaks havoc, but this time there was no Malcolm to even warn them beforehand.
Goldblum and most of the other original cast members were purposely kept out of Jurassic World, with B.D. Wong's Dr. Henry Wu the only one to return. Executive producer Steven Spielberg wanted to introduce a fresh cast of characters for the Jurassic World trilogy to keep the franchise focused on the future. In an interview with CinemaBlend, director Colin Trevorrow stated: "Steven had a mission to make something new, and he really wanted it to be a Jurassic Park for a new generation." Seeing as the new franchise began 14 years after the release of the original film, focusing on creating characters for a new generation of viewers is sensible. There were young teenagers buying tickets for Jurassic World who weren't even alive when Jurassic Park was released. For them, the nostalgia of seeing characters like Ian Malcolm was not the motivation to see the movie. Instead, the movie served as a vehicle to introduce new characters to root for in the Jurassic franchise.
The chaotic events of the first Jurassic World movie call for Ian Malcolm to return in Fallen Kingdom to repeat his past warnings. In the sequel, Malcolm testifies to the U.S. Congress that the dinosaurs must be left to die on the island to correct the atrocities of creating them in the first place. Instead, the movie concludes with the dinosaurs from the island getting released into the mainland. Goldblum appears again in the final scene to warn society of the new dangerous reality they'll be living in, stating that "sudden, radical, irrational change...is happening now." These radical, unpredictable changes are the basis of chaos theory, and it's apparent that Malcolm's warnings have come true once again.
While fans were excited to see Goldblum's return teased in the trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the movie itself gave him very little screen time. His appearances bookend the movie, beginning when he is calling for the eradication of the dinosaurs, and ending with his warning of the new era the world has entered. In the 130-minute film, Goldblum's Malcolm is on screen for less than five minutes. Although his role in Fallen Kingdom was minor, Goldblum will return for the trilogy's final movie, Jurassic World: Dominion, alongside other original cast members Laura Dern and Sam Neill. Hopefully, then, Jurassic World 3 will be able to give Malcolm more to do than Fallen Kingdom was.
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