Marvel alum Scarlett Johansson is in talks to star in an upcoming Jurassic World movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The outlet reports that the Black Widow actress may take the lead in the dino film, which is to be directed by Gareth Edwards and written by David Koepp, who penned the original Jurassic Park. Details regarding the Universal Pictures movie’s plot and the rest of its cast have yet to be revealed.
Johansson’s character in the next Jurassic World entry hasn’t been detailed either. The actress is still coming down from her decade of service in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it doesn’t look like she’ll be returning to play Black Widow anytime soon. In April 2023, she said she was “done” playing the hero and even went on to double down on her exit in November.
Edwards, meanwhile, is no stranger to larger-than-life blockbusters. The director is best known for helming Legendary’s towering 2014 Godzilla movie, but he also dabbled in a galaxy far, far away with his prequel offshoot, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in 2016. His most recent theatrical release was last year’s artificial intelligence-centered sci-fi epic, The Creator.
The yet-to-be-named Jurassic World movie is already hurtling toward its July 2, 2025 release date. However, there is still a lot that needs to come together before it makes impact. Although the report says that Edwards will indeed be attached to the movie after negotiations were revealed last week, Johansson’s involvement isn’t guaranteed yet.
There’s also the issue of how a new movie plans to follow up the more recent trilogy led by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. The last installment, Jurassic World: Dominion, stomped into theaters in June 2022. We gave the dinosaur romp a 7/10 in our review, saying, “Nostalgia and new thrills make an interesting marriage in an imperfect but otherwise exciting Jurassic World Dominion.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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