The following contains spoilers for Jurᴀssic World Rebirth, now playing in theatersJurᴀssic World Rebirth introduces a new variant of dinosaur that one-ups the T-Rex in some pretty serious ways. Positioned as a fresh start for the franchise following the events of the previous Jurᴀssic World trilogy, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth leans into the more action-packed elements of the series. Jurᴀssic World Rebirth‘s characters are a mix of mercenaries and civilians, trapped on a previously unknown island where the naturally dangerous dinosaurs have intermingled with frightening new mutant variants.
While this does set up the heroes to recover some valuable dinosaur DNA that could change the world, given the events of Jurᴀssic World Rebirth‘s ending, it also serves as an ideal launching pad for the new kinds of dinosaurs in the series. While the most frequent of these mutant variants are creatures like the Mutadons, the most dangerous of these new creatures is the D-Rex, a fearsome monster that takes more visual cues from sci-fi than earlier Jurᴀssic Park movies. Here’s why the D-Rex is Jurᴀssic World‘s newest terrifying king of the monsters.
The D-Rex’s Origins In Jurᴀssic World Rebirth, Explained
The D-Rex Was Created By InGen Scientists
The Distortus-Rex, otherwise known as the D-Rex, is one of the most prominent — and terrifying — new dinosaur variants introduced in Jurᴀssic World Rebirth. The Distortus-Rex is one of the many mutant dinosaurs that are retconned to have been created decades before the present day in an InGen lab on the island of Ile Saint-Hubert.
The D-Rex was one of the attempts by the company to genetically modify new species in of hopes that it would attract more attention for their parks in the public. However, many of these mutations came out physically bizarre and aggressively dangerous, including the D-Rex.
The D-Rex in particular was one of the primary reasons the lab was shut down. After an errant wrapper ended up sucked into the security system, it caused a malfunction which quickly led to the D-Rex getting ahold of one of the scientists and killing them. The other lab technicians fled the island, which became a dangerous habitat for these mutated creatures.
The D-Rex in particular seems to have remained where it was created, stalking the area around the labs instead of venturing more out into the island like other genetically-modified dinosaurs like the mutadons. This plays into the tension of the film’s climax, where the remaining characters have to move through the D-Rex’s territory to escape the island.
What Makes The D-Rex A Uniquely Dangerous Dinosaur Mutant
The D-Rex Is More Like A Sci-Fi Monster Than A Regular Dinosaur
The Jurᴀssic franchise has always had an interesting relationship to depicting dinosaurs realistically, but the creatures have always felt grounded in certain ways. The D-Rex is a departure from that conception. The D-Rex specifically takes cues from sci-fi monsters like the Rancor of Star Wars or the Xenomorph of Alien.
This gives the D-Rex some unique qualities that separate it from other dinosaurs, such as a naturally bipedal physical state and extra arms. This allows the D-Rex to move around with great ease, despite its hulking size compared to other dinosaurs.
The D-Rex is mᴀssive enough to pull a helicopter from the sky and strong enough to crush it with ease, but it’s also stealthy enough to actually move around without the humans instantly spotting it. This suggests a level of intellect that other mᴀssive dinosaurs like the T-Rex rarely showcase in the films.
Jurᴀssic World Rebirth Proves The D-Rex Is More Dangerous Than The T-Rex
The D-Rex Has A Better Kill Count Than The T-Rex In Jurᴀssic World Rebirth
The D-Rex notably gets some of the biggest kills of the film, especially in comparison to the usually fearsome T-Rex. A T-Rex is seen about halfway through the film, eventually chasing the Delgado family down a river. It’s a tense scene (and one of the better action beats in the film), but also a poor showing for the T-Rex.
The dinosaur fails to catch up to the family. It can’t even break through an inflatable raft with its teeth, giving Isabella the chance to escape from the creature and reach a part of the river that the dinosaur can’t follow. By contrast, the D-Rex is a far more fearsome creature.
The D-Rex is shown sneaking up on a helicopter as it considers descending, crushing it with its jaws and throwing it to the ground to explode. The creature also corners the survivors as they try to escape the Mutadon, with the main characters only escaping thanks to the D-Rex turning its attention towards Krebs.
This suggests the [D-Rex] can be outsmarted, much like the other dinosaurs in the [Jurᴀssic World] franchise
The D-Rex doesn’t go for straightforward kills like many of the other dinosaurs, instead taking its time with Krebs and slowly raising him to its mouth like the rancor in Return of the Jedi. The result is a dinosaur that feels more monstrous and horrifying than the natural predators of the rest of the film.
The biggest question mark right now is how smart the creature truly is. Duncan Kincaid is able to lure the creature away from the others with a flare, and then manages to escape the creature off-screen to reunite with the others as they escape. This suggests the creature can be outsmarted, much like the other dinosaurs in the franchise.
Will The D-Rex Return In Future Jurᴀssic Movies?
The D-Rex Could Come Back In Specific Situations
The D-Rex presents a unique opportunity for the Jurᴀssic World franchise, especially in light of how the film ends. With the survivors making their way back home with the dinosaur DNA that could revolutionize medicine, it’s possible that more people might be willing to risk Ile Saint-Hubert to recover more samples.
If that’s the case, then the D-Rex could easily reappear in future films. Because of the creature’s unique origins, however, it seems unlikely that there are any other D-Rex running around. If future films shift to a different setting and away from the mutants of Ile Saint-Hubert, then the D-Rex might not reappear as easily.
There’s also the chance that someone will see the existence of the D-Rex as a potential boon for military applications. Initially hidden from the world by InGen as a failed R&D project, the D-Rex might be exposed to the world by Zora and her fellow survivors. If that’s the case, someone who sees dinosaurs as weapons could be very intrigued by the creature.
If that’s the case, then audiences could see new variants or versions of the D-Rex in action. Given that the new film leans into the thrills and action of the series rather than the worldbuilding of the previous films, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth‘s D-Rex returning in some form could keep the focus on those elements.
