As a die hard fan of the Jurassic franchise, I have always liked how the cloned animals would look different to their paleo counterparts. This was always the answer to why some look different to their real life counterparts.  

 

However , The 2021 short film The Prologue for Jurassic World Dominion did something the franchise has always avoided for a long time. Which was have a scene set in the Cretaceous period. This divided the fanbase. Some liked it for how it was made / filmed.  While others did not since it broke the film canon by showcasing the Mesozoic with some out of place species and could have been more accurate , if the proper research was done. It broke an important principle all the previous films had followed: The cloned individual would always look different to its real life ancestor. The T rex looked the same but with slight feathering, the Giganotosaurus was heavily spiked , and some were just copy and pasted models. Such as the Pteranodon, Ankylosaurus, and Nasutoceratops.

 

For myself and countless others in the fandom, the 2021 short film was poorly executed. Especially since the director Colin Trevorrow said the short film would be as accurate as possible. But there were many species that were out of place which breaks the canon. Even though many would have looked different if they were accurate and did not have Frog DNA fill the gaps. But since this is set in the past that excuse can not be used at all. 

To many fans, this isn't just a minor detail or a nitpick, but a canon breaking scene that messes up the lore. The franchise has always embraced and depicted the uncertainty of genetics and this scene messes it all up. The arguement that this is "accurate in universe" is a completely stupid and unoriginal excuse. It does not help that Colin Trevorrow has said that the Extended Edition which features this scene is the real version of the film.  Which opens a whole can of worms again.

However, there's a way forward. I and many others propose that the next Jurassic World film directed by Gareth Edwards fixes this oversight by retconning the Cretaceous segment scene. This would not only appease the fanbase but would also restore the film canon. Movies and franchises that narrate stories of the impossible should also respect the franchise rules they themselves have set. While many have said Maisie's origin being retconned in the Jurassic World Dominion or Jurassic World Rebirth limiting the mainland dinosaurs as bad. This is the most lore breaking out of all of them. Since it breaks the immersion of the franchise and a way to differentiate the clones from their ancestors.

 

There are a few ways this can be fixed. These are the two main ways: 

 

The first is to have it be recontextualized by it being an in universe ad/short film made by Biosyn to get government funding for their sanctuary in the Dolomite Mountains. By having it play on a screen in universe this would mean it would no longer be set in the past but made in modern times.  But due to Biosyn not doing their research. This would mean they spread misinformation about what species coexisted with each other in prehistoric times. Which would be in line with how the company was portrayed in both of the two Michael Crichton novels. A newspaper article that in the film would mention a scandal that involves Biosyn lying about their clones purity and a confidential paper showing the DNA they used to fill in the gaps. This would explain why some of Biosyn's clones look almost accurate but still are not. This would be the easiest way for Universal to retcon it without spending too much money.

 

The second is that this is actually set in a man made ecosystem owned by Biosyn somewhere in the modern world. Which would explain why some of the species look so identical to their clones and why there are out of place species featured. However, this would have to explained in a scene and would have to come off as genuine. Not forced. Which can work but it has to be done just right.

 

There is a third option but this would be to correct the Cretaceous Prologue in any future releases of Jurassic World Dominion. Some of these changes would be minor changes. However, this would cost a fair amount of time and money.

 

Have the Dreadnoughtus model be tweaked to resemble a North American Titanosaur

Make the Cretaceous Giganotosaurus look different to the film's counterpart . The film Giga can stay the same.

Add pycnofibers to the Pteranodons and have them look different to the film counterpart

Make the Ankylosaurus a bit smaller and have more rounder,smoother spikes.

Switch the Nasutoceratops for Triceratops , but decrease the size of the herd. 

Add the wings from the Pyroraptor to the Oviraptor.

Mix the Prologue T Rex model with the JW Rebirth T Rex's anatomical build.

Have the Iguanodon look more robust and bulkier than the one seen in the film.

 

The fourth is the same as option three but with the addition of text below to show when & where it takes place.

 

The first segment with the Dreadnoughtus, Quetzalcoatulus, Pterandon, Ankylosaurus, and unknown carcass. The Dreadnoughtus is modified to resemble an Alamosaurus. While the Pteranodons and Ankylosaurus are made to look more accurate. A text says Late Cretaceous , Southwestern North America.

 

The second segment with the Oviraptor has a text that states Late Cretaceous Mongolia , Asia. The wings of the Pyroraptor are added to make it look the Oviraptor more accurate.

 

The third segment with the Nasutoceratops can go two ways. Keep the same species but tweak the model to look more paleo accurate with the text Late Cretaceous , Utah. Or replace it with paleo accurate small herd of Triceratops and have the text Late Cretaceous , Southwestern North America.

 

The final segment with  the Giganotosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Moros, and Iguanodon has the text somewhere in North America.

 

The text would now say 66 Million Years Later  instead of 65 Million Years Later.

 

 

The fifth and final option would be to use some of the models from Life on Our Planet and The Dinosaurs (2026). They can reuse some of those models and save the time for a new version of the Cretaceous segment of the Jurassic World Dominion Prologue. They already have the perfect models for  Alamosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and a Triceratops model. 

 

These options would mean that it is still canon. But it changes how it is canonical to the franchise. By not it actually being the real Cretaceous period, this makes everyone satisfied.

 

We strongly urge the filmmakers and producers behind the next  Jurassic World film to listen to the voices of the fanbase. Let's correct this large continuity error and keep the franchise canon intact.