In 2017, the world was introduced to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a sequel that came over a decade after the Robin Williams led original. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black, this new installment changed formats from being a board game that comes alive to having players sucked into a video game world.
Though some fans were wary about it holding up to the original, it was a critical success and grossed an incredible $962.1 million at the box office. A new sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, is headed our way this Christmas and the trailer revealed some surprising details about what’s to come. Here are 10 things we learned from that first trailer.
The Gang Has Grown Apart
One of the most appealing things about Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was seeing the gang of teenagers who didn’t seem to fit together bond through their experiences in the game. Nerdy Spencer, shy Martha, popular Bethany, and jock Fridge formed a friendship that was incredibly strong by the end of the film. But in the new trailer, things aren’t looking good for them.
We see a sad-looking Spencer talking with his grandfather and his friends get brought up. When asked if he still talks to his friends, Spencer says, “It’s complicated.” The group arrives at his home later in the trailer and seem to now know what’s up with him. Whatever their issues are, Martha is quick to jump back into the game to try and save him.
The Game Is Busted
In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the concept was straightforward. The teenagers selected their characters and when they were sucked into the game, that’s who they became. This trailer makes it clear that isn’t the case this time around. Spencer is first seen tampering with the cartridge in an attempt to make it work again.
Once Spencer gets it to work, we don’t know what happens to him. However, when his friends join in, something is wrong. They get pulled in before ever selecting their characters and once in, Ruby Roundhouse states that the game is broken because things aren’t as they were the last time.
There’s A New Character
Honestly, this is still a case where we don’t know a lot about what’s going on. As expected, the trailer centers around the characters we know and love, while also introducing those played by Danny DeVito and Danny Glover. But a glance was given to someone we don’t know.
Near the end of the trailer, the camera stops for a few moments and lingers on a character played by Awkwafina. The actress broke out with great performances in Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians last year. We don’t know the details about the character, but judging by the environment around her, she’s in the game world and not the real world.
Martha Is Still Ruby Roundhouse
When the real world characters entered the video game world of Jumanji in the previous installment, Martha became Ruby Roundhouse. It was wonderful to watch Karen Gillan portray this girl who is unsure of herself and shy while being in the body of a gorgeous ass-kicker.
This time around, there are problems when Martha and her friends enter the game. None of them become the player they were in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, except for Martha. She will be returning as Ruby Roundhouse and we couldn’t be happier. Their opposite characteristics worked so well together. Considering her comfort level is higher than everyone else’s, she may emerge as a leader.
Fridge Is No Longer Mouse
One of the funniest bits in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was how star athlete Anthony “Fridge” Johnson got stuck in the game as Franklin “Mouse” Finbar, a small zoologist with no athletic ability. This time around, Fridge gets back in the game, but he’ll be Professor Shelly Oberon instead.
While we’ll miss the dynamic of Fridge as Mouse, we are excited to see him in a new position. There should still be plenty of laughs, as Oberon is similar to Mouse in how he lacks athleticism. It might even make Oberon an even bigger source of comedy this go around.
Nick Jonas Is Back
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle focused on four primary characters. When they had to choose their characters for the game, the role of Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough was unavailable. They thought nothing of it until they ran into McDonough while on their adventure.
McDonough, the team’s pilot, was played by Nick Jonas. The person controlling him in the game was Alex Vreeke, who had been trapped there since 1995. When that film ended, Alex was freed and went on to live his life. The trailer shows us that Jonas was back as McDonough and it’ll be interesting to see who is controlling him.
Spencer Is Missing
A focal point of the trailer sees Spencer working hard on the Jumanji game. Judging by his comment that things with his friends are complicated, he might be doing this in a desperate attempt to bring them all together again. However, by the time they arrive at his grandpa’s house, Spencer is already gone.
Once they all enter Jumanji, Martha is happy to see Smolder Bravestone, thinking it’s still Spencer since that was who he became in the last film. When she realizes that it isn’t him, we don’t get another sign of who he could be this time around. Is he McDonough? Or is he in more trouble than we know?
Kevin Hart Has A Great Danny Glover Impersonation
As noted, seeing Kevin Hart (Franklin “Mouse” Finbar) run around and scream as he was an athlete trapped in a small, unathletic body was hilarious. However, judging by this trailer, there’s a strong chance Hart will be even funnier in Jumanji: The Next Level.
We quickly find out that Spencer’s grandfather’s friend, Milo Walker (Danny Glover) is now stuck as Finbar. The trailer gives us plenty of clips of Hart doing his best Danny Glover impersonation. It’s spot-on as he nails the cadence of his voice while expertly nailing the bewilderment of Walker in his situation.
There’s New Terrain
It states it in the title, but Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle takes place solely in the jungle. Jumanji: The Next Level is doing what good sequels tend to do. It’s upping the ante and going bigger. We still get a sense of the jungle, but there are also at least two new locations that the game takes them to.
There are some shots of the group in the desert. It’s there that they bring up their lists of strengths and weaknesses, so this may come early in the film. More exciting is the footage in the snow. It looks like harrowing terrain and when Bravestone saves Roundhouse from falling to her death, we can tell it’ll be enthralling stuff.
Danny DeVito Is The Rock
What a strange sentence to write. The best part of the trailer had to be the reveal that it isn’t Spencer who is Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) this time, but it’s his grandpa, Eddie Gilpin (Danny DeVito). That means we get to watch The Rock and his massive frame again play against type.
Last time, Johnson got to be someone with all the muscles and charisma, yet he was really a shy, nerdy kid. Now, he’ll be a small, cranky, elderly man with no clue what’s going around him. That means Bravestone, the strongest player in the game, may end up as a non-factor at times. Either way, the trailer lets us know that Johnson is going to be hilarious in this role. Combining him and Danny DeVito is a stroke of genius.
