Jumanji 4 Needs More Than Next Level's OG Actor Return To Unite The Rock & Robin Williams' Movies

Publish date: 2024-05-18

Jumanji: The Next Level brought back a member of the original Jumanji's cast, and Jumanji 4 needs to go even further with this strategy.

Summary

Jumanji 4 is confirmed to be in development, and it needs to take a bigger step in connecting the franchise by bringing back original cast members in larger roles.
The Jumanji revival series has been successful with both new and original fans, and incorporating more connections to the original film could be beneficial for the franchise.
Possible returning cast members for Jumanji 4 could include Judy, Peter, and Van Pelt, as they would add to the legacy of the franchise and raise the stakes for the new sequel.

Jumanji 4 is inevitable, and the sequel must go bigger than Jumanji: The Next Level's original actor returns in order to unite the franchise. While the modern Jumanji movies are sequels to the original Robin Williams film, the connections between the two series are pretty small, with them mostly taking the form of Jumanji Easter eggs and references. Because of this, Jumanji 4 needs to take an even greater step forward in connecting the entirety of the franchise.

Jumanji 4 has already been confirmed to be in development, with the sequel showing a lot of promise after the success of Jumanji: The Next Level. The Jumanji revival series has been loved by new fans and fans of the original film alike, with the modern-day updates to the story not getting in the way of what people loved about the first Jumanji. While Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel have established an identity of their own, bringing in more connections to the original film could be a good idea for the franchise going forward.

All Jumanji Movies Ranked Worst To Best

The Jumanji franchise continues with the release of Jumanji: The Next Level, but how does it compare to the rest? Here's every Jumanji movie, ranked.

Jumanji 4 Can Bring Back Original Jumanji Cast Members For Bigger Roles

In order to unite the Jumanji franchise, Jumanji 4 needs to bring back cast members from the original movie in much bigger roles. Jumanji: The Next Level toyed with this idea, bringing back Bebe Neuwirth as Nora Shepherd, the aunt of Peter and Judy in the original film. However, Nora's role in the sequel is only a cameo, with Jumanji 4's potential returning characters needing to be much more.

All kinds of characters from the first Jumanji movie could appear, with the legacy sequel having the perfect opportunity to tie the entire franchise together. After two movies with the new cast of characters, uniting them with the original Jumanji crew would be a fun way to honor the franchise's legacy. While it may be hard to figure out an easy way to get the old characters back in the loop, it would lead to an incredible payoff.

Which Original Jumanji Cast Members Should Return For Jumanji 4

If Jumanji 4 truly does bring back some original Jumanji cast members, the obvious question is who should return. The easiest pick would be the two main children from the first film, Judy and Peter. Judy actress Kirsten Dunst is still active to this day, meaning that she could be available, while Peter actor Bradley Pierce has still done some acting in recent years.

Jumanji 4 Returning Cast & Character Guide

Jumanji 4 sees Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart return to play Dr "Smolder" Bravestone and Franklin "Mouse" Finbar. But who else is joining the cast?

Another fun choice to bring back for Jumanji 4 would be Jonathan Hyde as Van Pelt. The villainous hunter was the main human antagonist of the original film as well as one of Jumanji's most dangerous obstacles, meaning that having him return would be a fun way to raise the stakes. While there are still some other choices, these are the obvious picks for returning characters in Jumanji 4.

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