The idea of a hybrid dinosaur has been intrinsic to Jurassic Park IV for a long time. Back before Colin Trevorrow got involved and the film retitled to Jurassic World, the idea of human DNA being spliced with the dinos, resulting in horrific abominations, was favoured by Universal Studios. The finished film went for something a little less ridiculous - the Indominus Rex, a mix of (among other, less prehistoric creatures) the T-Rex and Velociraptor. However, those of you who've been following Jurassic World's pre-release development will also be familiar with the Stegoceratops. This dino-hybird is, as it sounds, a mash-up of Stegosaurus and Triceratops DNA and is available as part of Hasbro's tie-in toy range. Many expected Stegoceratops to make a surprise appearance in the film, so when she didn't it was generally assumed it was in fact just dreamt up by the toy company, an exaggeration of a movie's idea in the spirit of over-the-top merchandise. Well, that's not actually the case. In an interview with Empire, Trevorrow revealed that Stegoceratops was actually going to be in the film, hence Hasbro's model, only to be removed at some point in the development process. In the original plan for the film, Claire and Owen were going to come across a Stegoceratops at some point during their travels, realising that Dr Wu had got a bit overzealous playing God (something that is touched upon in the finished film). This was cut after the director's son, of all people, commented that having more of something makes it less special. He was referring to Leia being a Jedi weakening Luke's specialness in Star Wars, but the point's a pretty solid one. You can still see a computer render of the Stegoceratops in the movie when Owen, Claire and the boys head into the genetics lab, so the creature (at least on a concept level) is canon, and it's also a buyable dinosaur in the Jurassic World mobile game, so it's not just Hasbro who were too late to change their plans. Mystery solved. And who knows, as Wu got away with a bunch of embryos, perhaps the Stegoceratops will make an appearance in the sequel. Jurassic World is in cinemas now.
