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Universal Pictures<\/span>\n <\/div>\n When it comes to the “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” movies, the stars are unquestionably the prehistoric beasties. Every dinosaur in the original “Jurassic Park” trilogy<\/a>\u00a0has its share of fans, even initially divisive creatures like the\u00a0Spinosaurus. Meanwhile, the modern “Jurassic World” entries typically end with big showdowns between the T-Rex and whatever new monstrosity is causing terror. If you’re coming into one of these movies, you’re showing up for the prehistoric chaos.<\/p>\n However, that doesn’t mean the seven “Jurassic Park” and “World” movies have eschewed human characters. On the contrary, as flesh-and-blood people like Dr. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Claire\u00a0Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), and others have remained fixtures of this saga. The prominence of these figures means there’s always been tremendous effort put into casting, resulting in\u00a0folks like Jeff Goldblum and James Cromwell coming on board. However, there have also been a number of actors that came close to appearing\u00a0in the “Jurassic Park” franchise, but\u00a0never ended up doing so.<\/p>\n These fascinating instances reflect tantalizing “what if?” scenarios regarding what some of the most lucrative franchise entries could’ve looked like. From global superstars to then-budding leading men, the “Jurassic Park” franchise has had close brushes with an assortment of fascinating actors. Even with the dinosaurs running these movies, these five performers still could’ve left their own mighty footprint on this fictional universe.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n
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Paramount Pictures<\/span>\n <\/div>\n Glen Powell was a budding reality TV star before “Top Gun: Maverick,”<\/a>\u00a0and that 2022 blockbuster would change everything for the actor. Today, he is one of the most in-demand names in Hollywood, and has since gone on to headline hits like “Anyone But\u00a0You” and “Twisters.”\u00a0Now a certified movie star, everything about Glen Powell has become obsessed over<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even with Powell fever in full effect, though, the “Jurassic World” franchise couldn’t get the actor to sign on for “Jurassic World Rebirth” as lead\u00a0character Dr. Henry Loomis, who would eventually be played by Jonathan Bailey. In a 2024 Hollywood Reporter<\/a> interview,\u00a0Powell recalled how, despite enjoying the “Rebirth” script, he felt another actor could play the part better.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Powell passing on encountering dinosaurs isn’t too surprising when looking at his more recent credits.\u00a0Despite a “Top Gun” legacy sequel catapulting Powell to stardom, the actor has opted to star in more original titles. Save for “Twisters” and Edgar Wright’s 2025 “The Running Man” adaptation, Powell has focused on endeavors like “Hit Man,” “Anyone But You,” and the forthcoming J.J. Abrams directorial effort\u00a0“The Great Beyond.”\u00a0This likely meant that the sixth “Jurassic Park” sequel was probably nowhere near Powell’s current wheelhouse. Of course, his absence didn’t hurt “Rebirth’s” box office haul.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n
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Sony\/Columbia<\/span>\n <\/div>\n Long before taking up the Spider-Man mantle,\u00a0Tom Holland was an acclaimed child actor on stage and screen. One of his earliest film roles was as Lucas Bennett in J.A. Bayona’s disaster movie drama “The Impossible.” Holland handled a great deal of weighty material in his\u00a0portrayal of a child grappling with being separated from his family after a tsunami.<\/p>\n “The Impossible”\u00a0forged a strong working relationship between Holland and Bayona, as the\u00a0actor returned to stand-in on set for the titular beast of Bayona’s “A Monster Calls.”\u00a0After two movies together, it’s unsurprising that Bayona hoped to feature Holland in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”\u00a0Holland divulged that the filmmaker had reached out about a “Fallen Kingdom”\u00a0role, but that it wasn’t possible due to his busy schedule.<\/p>\n Given the dearth of “Fallen Kingdom” characters in Holland’s age range, it’s likely he was eyed to play\u00a0Justice\u00a0Smith’s Franklin Webb. This plucky technician, who screams in terror at the sight of any dinosaur, was a fine showcase for Smith’s talents. Holland, meanwhile, spent the late 2010s web-crawling across various lucrative MCU adventures,\u00a0a far cry from his childhood days of headlining “The Impossible” under Bayona’s direction.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n
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Universal Pictures<\/span>\n <\/div>\n Can you imagine anyone other than Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm?\u00a0The actor brought so much to the table, including an iconic “Jurassic Park” moment that Goldblum totally improvised<\/a>. Appearing in four of the seven “Jurassic” installments, Goldblum is as integral to this franchise as the T-Rex. However, he wasn’t always the only person considered for Dr.\u00a0Ian Malcolm. Originally, Jim Carrey was also in contention to play the “rock star” mathematician.<\/p>\n In the early ’90s, when “Jurassic Park” was getting off the ground, Carrey had yet to headline comedies such as “The Mask”\u00a0and\u00a0“Dumb and Dumber” that would cement him as an A-list star. Instead, he was a fleeting supporting player and “In Living Color” scene-stealer. Even without a dense filmography to point to, Carrey’s audition for Malcolm impressed the producers and casting agents working on “Jurassic Park.”\u00a0<\/p>\n However, once the team latched onto Jeff Goldblum, the deal was sealed.\u00a0It’s unlikely that Carrey’s more over-the-top comedic sensibilities would’ve gelled with the dry, observational quips Malcolm is famous for. The casting decision ultimately worked for all involved, as\u00a0Goldblum became a beloved “Jurassic Park” alum, while Carrey pursued other acting opportunities that resulted in a line of excellent movies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n
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General Pictures<\/span>\n <\/div>\n Malayalam cinema legend M.R. Gopakumar has a vast array of roles under his belt, including his acclaimed turn as Thommy in “Vidheyan.” His filmography\u00a0almost included an appearance in a “Jurassic Park” installment helmed by Steven Spielberg. As the filmmaker was getting the ball rolling on 1997’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” it was announced that M.R. Gopakumar would play a supporting character in the sequel.<\/p>\n Apparently, his “Vidheyan” performance put the acting legend on Spielberg’s radar. M.R. Gopakumar was set to play Ajay Sidhu, an ally of Roland Tembo (Pete Postlethwaite) and one of many hired by InGen to bring back dinosaurs from Isla Sorna to San Diego.\u00a0However, Gopakumar was denied a work visa necessary to get him to the Los Angeles shoot. Aid never came from “The Lost World’s” American production team, so the role was merely recast.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite Gopakumar being initially cast and the character being named Ajay Sidhu, another South Asian actor wouldn’t get the role. Instead, Caucasian performer\u00a0Harvey Jason was cast in Gopakumar’s place, with no change to the character’s name.\u00a0Given “The Lost World’s” lastingly divisive reputation,\u00a0this was truly a creative loss for the “Jurassic Park” followup rather tha n a career-ending turn for M.R. Gopakumar, who continues turning in revered performances to this day.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n
<\/p>\nGlen Powell in Jurassic World Rebirth<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nTom Holland in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nJim Carrey in Jurassic Park<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nM.R. Gopakumar in The Lost World: Jurassic Park<\/h2>\n
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