WARNING: This article has SPOILERS for Indiana Jones and the Dial of DestinyThe exciting Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny climax takes the characters literally out of time and space, but Indy's journey to the third century B.C. was not the only option on the table. Director James Mangold initially toyed with a different ending to the film.
When viewers encountered Indy in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, he was a man out of time. Now a tired professor at Hunter College, he was looking down the barrel of divorce. And even when his precocious – if criminal – goddaughter Helena Shaw showed up, he couldn’t be more reluctant. He embarked on a wild chase to find the dial of Archimedes, if only to stop it from landing in Nazi hands, who plan to use it to win World War II. This conflict ended in a surprise twist that landed him in the battle of Syracuse where he met Archimedes himself.
Mangold proved he was equipped to support the Indiana Jones franchise by adding such a remarkable twist. But before this conclusion came to fruition, he was toiling with a different ending. “The other interesting thing was that one of the things I thought about was even if we did travel in time, would Mads' theory be right and they’d land in Nazi Germany? And the last act of the movie would be Indie trying to foil Mads' plan?” Mangold surmised in an interview with Inverse.
This was, after all, what Dr. Voller had initially intended. He planned on traveling back to World War II to kill Hitler because he believed the dictator was responsible for losing the war. But as exciting as the final act may have turned out to be, Mangold ultimately decided against it. That was not the movie he set out to make. He was more interested in a compelling emotional journey for the Indiana Jones characters rather than a straight spy film.
In that regard, his instincts led him in the right direction. By choosing to kill the intriguing Indiana Jones villain and his goons in a plane crash after failing to land in Germany, the rest of the film focused on Indy's emotional journey. Bleeding from a gunshot wound, the archeologist wanted to stay in ancient times. He believed he had no place in the '60s and that his time was over. Meeting his hero further cemented this decision. After decades of marveling about history and chasing down ancient relics, he finally saw it in real time.
Since Indiana Jones is not being replaced, a simple conflict with a familiar foe would not do the film franchise justice. Instead, fans see Indy realize he is still needed and reconcile with his estranged wife. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has all the heart and surprises the series is known for.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is currently showing in theaters.
Source: Inverse