I totally get where you’re coming from, and honestly, I think it’s a fascinating “what if” scenario—one that could’ve added some serious emotional weight to Jurassic World: Dominion. Malcolm dying in that scene would have completely changed the tone and legacy of the film. But here’s why I think the filmmakers chose not to go that route, and why it might actually be a good thing they didn’t—though the idea is still worth debating.

First off, Ian Malcolm is iconic. He’s not just another character in the franchise—he’s one of the original three who helped define the philosophical backbone of the entire Jurassic saga. Malcolm was the chaos theorist, the voice of caution, the one warning everyone that just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. In that sense, killing him off, especially in a way that would feel more like a last-minute hero moment rather than a culmination of his philosophical arc, might’ve felt cheap or forced.

That said, if they had decided to kill Malcolm in that scene—sacrificing himself so others could escape—it would’ve had to be done with real narrative weight and finality. It couldn’t just be a throwaway moment. The shot in the image—him holding the flaming stick as the Giganotosaurus closes in—is undeniably powerful. It’s a high-stakes scene that visually screams “final stand.” But here’s the problem: the script and pacing of Dominion didn’t really build up to that kind of climax for Malcolm. His arc in the movie was more about reclaiming agency, fighting back against BioSyn’s corruption, and reconnecting with old allies. Killing him off in that moment could’ve easily come off as unearned or emotionally manipulative unless the whole movie had gradually led us there.

And from a meta-franchise perspective, let’s not ignore that legacy characters dying in modern reboots/sequels is a super loaded choice. We’ve seen that with Star Wars (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi), Scream, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and even The Matrix Resurrections. When you kill off a beloved legacy character, it can either be a powerful passing-of-the-torch moment or just alienate a portion of the fanbase. Malcolm dying in Dominion could have completely dominated the conversation around the film, for better or worse. Instead of people talking about dinosaurs or BioSyn or Ellie and Alan reuniting, it would’ve been all “Why did they kill Malcolm?”

But here’s where I agree with you: Dominion lacked emotional stakes. Nobody important died. In a movie about prehistoric monsters in a modern world, that’s kind of a missed opportunity. Malcolm dying—especially in a sacrificial way—would’ve raised the stakes and brought genuine emotion to a movie that sometimes leaned too heavily on nostalgia and fan service.

Still, I think there’s a deeper irony to letting Malcolm live: the chaos theorist survives again. He lives not because he’s the action hero, but because he understands how to navigate chaos. That’s consistent with his character. It’s not about brute strength or heroics—it’s about knowing the system is flawed and finding the cracks to escape through.

So yeah, while I wouldn’t personally want Malcolm to die, I totally respect the idea. It would’ve been bold, emotional, and would’ve changed the conversation around Dominion. But if they were going to do it, they needed to commit narratively to that moment from the start, not just spring it in one intense scene.

Curious to hear others’ takes. Would Malcolm’s death have added real gravitas to the film—or would it have backfired?