The Real Reason Glen Powell Rejected A Role In Jurassic World Rebirth

Dinosaurs may have gone extinct more than 65 million years ago, but the "Jurassic Park" (or "Jurassic World") movies seemingly can't be killed. To date, across six films spanning more than three decades, the "Jurassic" franchise has made more than $6 billion at the box office. That legacy will continue this summer with "Jurassic World Rebirth," which promises a new start for the property, complete with an entirely new cast. And while that ensemble features some impressive names, one name that won't be on the call sheet is Glen Powell.

Powell has rocketed to superstardom in recent years thanks to his work in surprise hits like the rom-com "Anyone But You" and the blockbuster sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." That being the case, Universal Pictures and director Gareth Edwards approached him for a role in "Jurassic World Rebirth," but Powell declined the offer. So, why wouldn't a star on the rise want to be in one of the biggest franchises on the planet? In a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Powell explained his reasoning, saying the following:

"'Jurassic' is one of my favorite movies. It's one of the things I've wanted to do my whole life. I'm not doing that movie because I read the script and I immediately was like, my presence in this movie doesn't help it. And the script's great. The movie's going to f*****g kill. It's not about that. It's about choosing where you're going to make an audience happy and where you're going to make yourself happy."

That "great" script for "Rebirth" Powell referred to was written by David Koepp, who penned the original "Jurassic Park" screenplay as well. Promising though it may be, Powell still didn't feel that this was the right move to make at this stage in his career.

Like many actors, there was a time probably not all that long ago when Powell couldn't have imagined turning down a leading role in a "Jurassic World" movie. But following successes like "Twisters" and "Hit Man," Powell has a lot of offers coming his way, and choices need to be made. Those choices aren't always easy, though. Just ask Will Smith, who infamously turned down "The Matrix" to star in the notorious box office bomb that was "Wild Wild West."

It's unclear which role Powell was being eyed for in "Rebirth," but it seems very likely that he would have played paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis, who is the character that Jonathan Bailey ("Wicked") wound up playing instead. The rest of the cast filled out very nicely, with Scarlett Johansson ("Black Widow"), Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight"), Rupert Friend ("Obi-Wan Kenobi"), and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo ("The Lincoln Lawyer") also on board. As for what they'll be getting up to? The synopsis for the seventh film in the "Jurassic" franchise reads as follows:

Five years after the events of "Jurassic World Dominion," the planet's ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea, and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Come what may, Powell certainly isn't hurting for work despite turning this movie down. He's currently got his Hulu series "Chad Powers" on the way, in addition to his leading role in Edgar Wright's new film adaptation of "The Running Man." The actor is also set to star alongside Jenna Ortega in J.J. Abrams' mysterious new sci-fi movie, among other things.

"Jurassic World Rebirth" hits theaters on July 2, 2025.