Scarlett Johansson in Jurassic World Rebirth might be borrowing the charm of Tembo to do good by a classic character trope

Jurassic World Rebirth will introduce Scarlett Johansson as covert operative Zora Bennett. An expert in her field, she seems determined to do anything for her goals. The trailer offers a peek into her strong personality as she gets hired as a specialist to spearhead a mission to find dinosaurs in an isolated habitat. This job requires decisiveness and mental strength, which she seems to possess. So, she is ready to bring a range of people on board to ensure there is no room for error.

Zora's mission is inherently questionable since it is driven by the desires of a powerful entity to profit off some rare species of dinosaurs. Zora might just be the right person for such a job since she doesn't mind hiring a smuggler because he is "best at moving people in and out of places they shouldn't." So, she will most likely leave no stone unturned and be ready to bend morals at her convenience if need be. However, her arc may not be that one-dimensional after all.

The trailer offers a sign of her humanity shining through the cracks toward a moment where she seems more concerned about the innocent locals rather than her mission. It might remind people of Roland Tembo, who went through a similar character arc in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Reader discretion is advised.

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Scarlett Johansson's Jurassic World Rebirth character might be inspired by an old franchise character

The Lost World: Jurassic Park was released in 1997 to a less than favorable reception. It might have been a letdown for the 90s kids who were floored by the 1993 film, which got them interested in this universe. The thrill and the magic of the original film were reportedly missing from the sequel. However, it still had a few bright spots, one of which was Roland Tembo, the character played by Pete Postlethwaite.

Roland was introduced as a man bored by his life. He entered an expedition to capture dinosaurs at the request of his friend. From the get-go, Roland seemed like a ruthless game hunter. So, he was presented as an antagonist in this story. However, throughout the journey, he revealed his kinder side. He ensured that Dr. Sarah Harding was alive after finding a bloody jacket.

Roland guaranteed that his mission was on track but not at the expense of the safety of subordinates. He did not kill female species unless in a dire situation, was level-headed, and followed a code of conduct even in stressful cases. In addition to that, he was driven by the adventurous aspect of his missions instead of what he was getting paid for. Coincidentally, he shares these traits with Scarlett Johansson's character in the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth.

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Scarlett Johansson's character arc in Jurassic World Rebirth: What we learn from the trailer

As mentioned before, Scarlett Johansson's Zora remains singularly focused on her pursuit of dinosaurs, driven by the thrill factor more than anything else. However, that seems to change on the ground when she has to decide between finishing her mission and protecting the locals.

Zora's humanistic choice turns her otherwise seemingly amoral personality into a compassionate one. It offers her character a complexity that was previously seen in Pete Postlethwaite's Roland Tembo. So, her antagonist-to-anti-hero character arc, driven by the desire to do good, might be borrowed from the 1997 film's underrated character.

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Also read: Why is Chris Pratt’s Owen not in the new Jurassic World Rebirth? Details explored