Kirsten Dunst, who played Judy Shepherd in the original Jumanji movie from 1995, has not returned for the recent sequels that started in 2017. Director Jake Kasdan recently explained why her character hasn’t been brought back in the new Jumanji films.
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Kirsten Dunst’s Jumanji Return Explained
In the original Jumanji, Judy and her brother Peter, played by Bradley Pierce, forget about their wild adventures in the magical game once time resets at the end of the film. This clever plot twist made it tricky to continue their story in later films. Kasdan said that the way the first movie ended made it very hard to include Judy in the newer films without confusing the storyline.
Kasdan praised Kirsten Dunst performance in the original movie, calling her “fantastic.” He also mentioned that they have always tried to keep some connection to the first Jumanji movie in the new films. However, he pointed out the challenge of trying to include the older characters in a way that fits with the newer storyline.
Despite the difficulty in bringing back Judy, fans of the original Jumanji movie have continued to hope for a cameo by Kirsten Dunst and Bonnie Hunt, who played Sarah in the first film. Recently, Hunt worked with Kasdan on a film called Red One, which made fans wonder if she might return to Jumanji as well.
One original character, Nora Shepherd (played by Bebe Neuwirth), made an appearance in Jumanji: The Next Level, but there were no references to Judy or Peter.
Kasdan is preparing to direct the next Jumanji movie, which will complete the trilogy that began in 2017. After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the next Jumanji movie is set to be released on December 11, 2026.
