“Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny” marks the end of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. Does this also seal the end of the franchise, or is there hope for Indiana Jones 5?
- Harrison Ford ends his time as adventurer Indy with “Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny.”
- But that is far from the end of the “Indiana Jones” franchise.
- The producer of “Indiana Jones 5” sees the future of the story in a series, without replacing Ford as Indy.
For “Indiana Jones 5,” “Star Wars” star Harrison Ford is putting on his fedora one last time. After a break of many years, he is back to bring the story of the courageous archaeologist to an end. But does this also mean the end of the “Indiana Jones” series?
Lucasfilm president and “Indiana Jones 5” producer Kathleen Kennedy doesn’t think so, as she tells Entertainment Weekly’s “Dagobah Dispatch” podcast. While there are no plans to replace Indiana Jones, there is still consideration to continue telling Indy’s story.
It’s Harrison’s final outing. That’s how we see the Indy franchise. If we wanted to tell more of the story now, it might be in a television series. We don’t want to replace Indiana Jones, though. There are five movies that Harrison Ford has done. And Harrison is so special and unique in creating that role. Steven Spielberg agrees that we’re not just replacing him.
Kathleen Kennedy on the Dagobah Dispatch Podcast
In late 2022, it was revealed that Lucasfilm was planning to produce an “Indiana Jones” series for the Disney+ streaming service. This was to be a prequel to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and follow Indy’s mentor Abner Ravenwood.
In March 2023, however, it was rumored that production of the series had been discontinued. The studio is said to be focusing more on the “Star Wars” franchise in the future, which is why the Disney+ series “Willow” was also canceled. This was reported by film critic Jeff Sneider on Twitter.
Harrison Ford was not to be involved in the spin-off series. The actor wanted to put an end to Indy with “Wheel of Destiny” and not revive the character for a series.
I had an ambition to make this film for ten years, and at some point the time came when we all went for it. It was a joyous moment for me. I think it’s a rare situation that I find myself in. I was able to deliver great films over a 40-year period, developed by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. It was my biggest goal to end this excursion not with a whimper, but with a bang.
Harrison Ford to the US magazine “Total Film“.
