It wasn't that long ago when it started to look like Indiana Jones 5 wasn't ever going to happen. For some, that came as a relief after 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the mostly-awful movie that brought Harrison Ford back to one of his most iconic roles after a 19-year absence.
Director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas were plotting out new story ideas prior to Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, with the former officially announced as Indiana Jones 5's helmer in 2016. Set for release in 2019, it was pushed to 2021 before Spielberg walked away from the project, ultimately leading to Logan director James Mangold taking over.
While we have faith in the filmmaker's ability to do the beloved character justice on screen (next up for him is DC Studios' Swamp Thing), there are those unhappy about the prospect of Indy's story coming to an end.
During a recent interview with Variety (via ActioNewz.com), Ford addressed his decision to return as Indy and confirmed that, sadly, he's going to bid farewell to the adventurer after this movie. "I always wanted to do it. I wanted to do the rest of the story to see the end of his career," the actor explained. "It’s the last time for me."
While there was a time Lucasfilm considered casting a new actor as Indiana Jones (Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt was being lined up for the role), a very vocal backlash put an end to that.
Even so, many fans remain convinced The Dial of Destiny will conclude with the iconic adventurer's death, leaving Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena to take over his gig in what would then be a female-led action franchise. However, it's been confirmed on multiple occasions that this movie isn't going to serve as a passing of the baton.
With Mangold at the helm, we've been anticipating Indiana Jones 5 being something special, and all signs point to it eventually ranking among the year's best movies. Ford's long-awaited return as the iconic adventurer is incredibly exciting, especially as we'll be following him both in the late 1960s and as a younger man.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023.