This Hybrid Dinosaur Was Missing From Jurassic World (& It’s Star Wars’ Fault)

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In the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movie franchises, most of the depicted dinosaurs don’t perfectly match their ancient counterparts. The scientists at InGen explain this by blending DNA from fossilized amber with that of other creatures. This was often necessary because the original DNA sequences had gaps or to change a dinosaur’s physical traits or behavior. While modifications in the Jurassic Park series were relatively minor, the Jurassic World series started creating more unique hybrid dinosaurs. For example, the primary danger in the first Jurassic World film was a hybrid named Indominus rex.

In a departure from typical dinosaurs featured in previous films, the creature known as Indominus rex was not solely based on a Tyrannosaurus rex. Instead, it incorporated DNA from various carnivorous dinosaurs, contemporary reptiles, and fish. As Dr. Henry Wu explained, “Indominus wasn’t bred; she was designed.” The outcome was an incredibly aggressive predator boasting abilities like camouflage, infrared tracking, and heightened intelligence, making her significantly more dangerous than any natural dinosaur seen before.

Interestingly, there was another hybrid dinosaur that almost made it to Jurassic World, but the idea was scrapped just before production began due to an unexpected connection.

An Early Draft of Jurassic World Included a Fusion of Two Iconic Dinosaurs

The discarded creature was a hypothetical dinosaur named Stegoceratops, a blend of the features of both Stegosaurus and Triceratops. Owen Grady and Claire Dearing would have run into this hybrid while exploring the jungle, recognizing its unique characteristics. Despite being an herbivore, the Stegoceratops would have been formidable due to its horns and spiked tail. Although it was not included in the movie, a depiction of the Stegoceratops could be spotted on one of the screens in the Creation Lab. Additionally, this dinosaur made appearances in various Jurassic World video games and Hasbro’s Jurassic World toy line, cementing its place as part of the franchise’s lore.

In a 2015 interview with Empire, director Colin Trevorrow shared his reasoning behind excluding the Stegoceratops scene from Jurassic World. During script development, he and his son watched Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. In this movie, Luke Skywalker mentioned having a sister who could have been a Jedi if he had failed. Trevorrow’s son felt that this made Luke seem less unique, and Trevorrow began to ponder if the same might apply to the other hybrid dinosaurs in Jurassic World. As a result, he chose to remove the Stegoceratops, with Indominus rex being the sole hybrid dinosaur featured in the film.

Hybrid Dinosaurs Are Still a Major Part of the Jurassic World Series

  • The computer screen in Jurassic World implied that the Stegoceratops included DNA from a snake and a beetle in addition to a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops.
  • Trevorrow nearly wrote and directed Star Wars: Episode IX, which ; he was replaced by J. J. Abrams, and the film became The Rise of Skywalker instead, but Trevorrow still received a story credit.

As a dedicated moviegoer, I must admit that the absence of the Stegoceratops in Jurassic World didn’t diminish my excitement for the franchise. The Indominus rex might have been the talk of the town, but let’s not forget about the Indoraptor introduced in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. This creature was essentially a Velociraptor on steroids, engineered to be as terrifying as an Indominus rex, which was a Tyrannosaurus rex in disguise.

However, the hybrid dinosaurs took a backseat in Jurassic World: Dominion, with Ramsay Cole mentioning that Biosyn aimed to bring species back in their “purest form.” But fear not, hybrid enthusiasts! The upcoming film promises to bring these genetic experiments back into focus. The storyline will unfold on an island where InGen used to store its failed dinosaur projects, including the mysterious Mutadons. These creatures appear to be a fusion of Velociraptors and Pterosaurs, making them a chilling blend of land and air predators.

Reflecting on the original Jurassic World, I can’t help but wonder how the story might have unfolded differently had they introduced hybrids like the Stegoceratops. However, in retrospect, Trevorrow made a wise decision by focusing solely on the Indominus rex. This approach allowed for a more gradual exploration of bizarre dinosaur combinations, creating an air of suspense and mystery.

Before Jurassic World, there were whispers of horrifying human-dinosaur hybrids in the pipeline. Although this idea was dismissed back then, who knows what the future holds? If the Jurassic World franchise continues to explore the darker aspects of InGen’s genetic research, we might just see these hybrid creatures making an appearance someday.

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2025-05-22 20:05