The iconic character has grown and matured since we last saw him, and even he's amazed that he's still around 'talking about dinosaurs again.'
The hotly anticipated sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is bringing back one of the franchise's most-beloved characters.
In a newly-released featurette – which drops quite a few tantalizing hints and exciting teases regarding the upcoming dino-fighting epic – fans get a sneak peek at the return of Jeff Goldblum's iconic scientist-turned-reluctant adventurer, Ian Malcolm.
While the glimpse at Goldblum is brief, it's endlessly exciting for fans of the original Jurassic Park and its sequel, who have been dying to see the celebrated character come back to the franchise.
The good doctor has clearly aged well and matured since we last saw him chasing a T-Rex through the streets of San Diego in the action-packed 1997 Jurassic Park sequel, The Lost World. He's traded in his black leather jacket for a crisp black suit, and he's grown out his salt-and-pepper beard, giving him the look of a distinguished professor.
In the one scene in the featurette, Goldblum's character looks to be testifying in a court room or a government hearing, where he delivers the hilariously self-referential line, "Here I am, talking about dinosaurs again."
Dr. Malcolm's influence on Fallen Kingdom can be seen outside of just Goldblum's role in the film. The upcoming blockbuster's tagline, "Life finds a way," is one of the character's most iconic lines of dialogue from the original film.
And, while Dr. Malcolm may not have appeared in 2015's Jurassic World, his in-universe book did. The tome, God Creates Dinosaurs, appears as an Easter egg in multiple scenes throughout the film.
Among the other glimpses of what's in store in Fallen Kingdom, fans get a brief look at Justice Smith – who serves as this installment's young, adventurous sidekick character – as well as B.D. Wong's villainous, turtleneck-clad Dr. Henry Wu.
Fans also get a very quick look at series newcomer James Cromwell, who reportedly plays Benjamin Lockwood, business partner to the late John Hammond (originally played by Richard Attenborough). Lockwood also co-founded and pioneered the cloning technology used to create dinosaurs.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom -- directed by J. A. Bayona and penned by Colin Trevorrow, who co-wrote and directed the first Jurassic World, alongside returning co-writer Derek Connolly -- is set to stampede into theaters on June 22, 2018.
Check out the video below to hear more from star Bryce Dallas Howard about her role in the exciting sequel.
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