The first trailer for Gareth Edwards’ Jurᴀssic World Rebirth featured the first looks at some of the movie’s new dinosaurs, and one of them may reference a deep cut from the Godzilla franchise. Following the disappointing conclusion to the Jurᴀssic World trilogy that ended in 2022 with Jurᴀssic World Dominion, the franchise will pivot in an entirely new direction without its star, Chris Pratt, and with a fresh narrative. Scarlett Johansson steps in as the franchise’s new lead, and the dinosaur action will take place on a previously-unexplored island in the warm seas of the Jurᴀssic Park universe.

Based on the first Jurᴀssic World Rebirth trailer, the franchise appears to be going back to its roots in depicting dinosaurs as mᴀssive, majestic, terrifying creatures. The plot will center around a quest for the DNA of three of the largest dinosaurs still alive on Earth, indicating that the sheer scale of the dinosaurs at the movie’s center will play a mᴀssive role. Some of the largest shown in the trailer are so big they conjure the kaiju of Godzilla’s cinematic history, and one in particular may have a visual connection to an actual Godzilla franchise villain.

Jurᴀssic World Rebirth’s тιтanosaurus May Reference A One-Time Godzilla Villain

The Kaiju тιтanosaurus Was Aligned With Godzilla’s Nemesis Mechagodzilla

Jurᴀssic World Rebirth focuses on Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett, a special operative responsible for helping a paleontologist (Jonathan Bailey) collect DNA samples from the largest dinosaurs on land, in the sea, and in the sky. The largest land dinosaur shown in the trailer is a mᴀssive sauropod which, despite not being specifically named yet, is reportedly the тιтanosaurus. The trailer showcases its whip-like tail, but the two specimens shown also have a distinct reddish-orange fin along their neck near their head and along the base of their tail.

It’s a very specific feature and coloration that could be a reference to a Showa Era Godzilla villain: the semiaquatic dinosaur that also happens to be named тιтanosaurus. тιтanosaurus appeared as an ally of Godzilla’s robotic nemesis Mechagodzilla in 1975’s Terror of Mechagodzilla, but he only fought against Godzilla thanks to a mind control device. While it could be a coincidence, the specific shade of red fin along with its placement on the Jurᴀssic World Rebirth sauropods in addition to the two creatures sharing a name seems too perfect to not be intentional.

Jurᴀssic World Rebirth May Be Taking Other Notes From The Godzilla Franchise

Kaiju-Sized Dinosaurs Are Making A Comeback

тιтanosaurus’ creature design elements may not be the only thing that Jurᴀssic World Rebirth is borrowing from the Godzilla franchise. The jungle setting and array of mᴀssive monsters is reminiscent of Kong: Skull Island, one of the foundational movies of Legendary’s ongoing Monsterverse. The movie also leans into the notion that human beings are completely outmatched and outsized when compared to the awesome might of nature; that’s a major theme surrounding the тιтans (like Godzilla and Kong) of the Monsterverse.

While the preceding entries in the franchise devolved into a malaise of CGI and action, Jurᴀssic World Rebirth appears poised to reclaim the spectacle of the astonishing size of real dinosaurs as they would look in the world today. Centering the plot around the largest monsters on the Earth conjures up vibes of the very best of the Godzilla franchise. A reference to Terror of Mechagodzilla‘s тιтanosaurus in Jurᴀssic World Rebirth might seem like a fun one-off, but it could be a small symbol of Godzilla’s overall influence on the new era of Jurᴀssic Park movies.