This summer, audiences will be treated to the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. According to star Harrison Ford, it may be the final installment.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny takes place in 1969 against the backdrop of the Space Race and the integration of former Nazi scientists into NASA. Ford will reprise his role as Indiana Jones and be joined by Mads Mikkelsen as ex-Nazi Jürgen Voller and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Indy's goddaughter Helena Shaw. John Rhys-Davies will return to play Indy's old friend Sallah, and Antonio Banderas will appear as Renaldo, another old friend who hasn’t appeared in previous movies.
In an interview with GamesRadars magazine Total Film, Ford confirmed that the Dial of Destiny marks his final appearance as Indiana Jones. "This is the final film in the series," he said, "and this is the last time I’ll play the character. I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film." Ford added that he was grateful to be able to play the iconic character one last time and said that doing this project has been something he wanted to do for many years now. "I had been ambitious to do this film for 10 years, and there finally came a time when we all committed to that. It was a joyous moment for me. I think it’s a rare situation that I find myself in," Ford said.
He went on to reminisce about the work he’s done with both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas over the years, saying, "I’ve been able to deliver amazing films developed by Steven [Spielberg] and George [Lucas] over a 40-year period, and to end it not with a whimper, but a bang, has been my greatest ambition for this excursion." Ford also addressed the possible Indiana Jones Disney Plus show, saying he will "not be involved in that, if it does come to fruition." Since the show would be focused on a younger Indiana Jones, it’s no surprise that Ford won’t be involved. However, it does seem to rule out any flash-forwards or cameos that involve Ford.
With Ford making his final appearance as Dr. Jones this summer, fans may wonder who will lead the Indiana Jones franchise from this point onward. As the franchise has always revolved around Ford, the obvious answer is: nobody. While Sean Patrick Flanery briefly took on the role for the TV show The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, it's difficult to imagine an Indiana Jones story without Ford. As central as Ford has been to the franchise, talk of the Disney Plus show suggests that Disney is willing to continue the franchise without Ford attached.
The studio may use the show to launch a new face of the franchise. Alternatively, they could use Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to set the stage for a younger character to follow in Indy's footsteps. Exactly how Disney will keep the Indiana Jones franchise alive is still unknown, but it will undoubtedly surprise fans old and new.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will premiere in theaters on June 30, 2023.
Source: Total Film via GamesRadar