WARNING: This article has SPOILERS for Indiana Jones and the Dial of DestinyIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny featured many easter eggs that pointed back to the original trilogy, but one anticipated cameo never made it past the planning stage.
In the fifth and final film of the Indiana Jones franchise, the titular archeologist once again found himself in events he had no control over. With the realities of retirement and a broken marriage, Indy already had a lot on his plate. But he was thrown for a loop when his manipulative goddaughter Helena entered the picture again. Faced with the guilt of not being in her life added to the fear of Nazis wanting to travel back in time to win World War II, he had no choice but to throw himself into another adventure. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was a novel concept that added cameos from Sallah, Marion, and even a reference to Mutt, Indy's son from the worst-ranked Indiana Jones movie.
But if there was one cameo that fans had been waiting for, it was the reappearance of Indy's side-kick, Short Round. Played by Ke Huy Quan in The Temple of Doom, the character seemed an obvious choice to bring back for a scene or two. But director James Mangold had a good reason for omitting the actor. “I was blown away by his work in Everything Everywhere [All at Once],” Mangold admitted on Josh Horowitz's podcast, Happy Sad Confused, "but that movie was shooting while we were making our movie. And I was looking for a kid, meaning I had written this concept that required Indy and Helena."
Not only was Quan committed while Dial of Destiny was filming, but Mangold also had other reasons for deciding against bringing him on board. The Logan director considered incorporating Short Round as a substantial addition to the cast, but he couldn’t make it work with the other Indiana Jones characters. The only other option would be to include him as just a walk-on role, which was something he wasn’t willing to do. Including Short Round in a movie that already featured quite a few cameos would not have been purely for fan service and would not have been for the film's betterment.
Quan has had a resurgence due to his performance in the absurdist venture, Everything Everywhere All At Once, a film that featured the actor in a role full of heart and humor. And even though adding him to the cast of Dial of Destiny would have only helped his star power, it ultimately would have been a disservice to the legacy of his Indiana Jones character. Not to mention the actor himself. The story Mangold was telling had no room to add Short Round respectfully.
Quan has been knocking it out of the park with his recent roles, and appearing in an Indiana Jones movie for a menial part with no substance would be worse than not seeing him. And since Indy is hanging up his hat and whip, there is no time like the present to make the Short Round spin-off that Quan has been clamoring for. Such a film would give the audience what they have been waiting for while adding Quan to a film that would be worth his time.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now showing in theaters.
Source: Happy Sad Confused