Despite his extensive acting career, recasting Chris Pratt as Indiana Jones would have been a bad idea. After years of setbacks due to production delays and the Coronavirus pandemic, Indiana Jones 5 is finally scheduled to premiere on June 30, 2023. James Mangold took over directing responsibilities from Steven Spielberg, making Indiana Jones 5 the first installment in the franchise not directed by Spielberg. In contrast, Indiana Jones remained unchanged with Harrison Ford, now 80 years old, returning to reprise his role.
However, there were rumors for years that Lucasfilm was considering recasting Chris Pratt as Indiana Jones. In 2015, Pratt had just starred in the box office success Guardians of the Galaxy and was set to headline in the first Jurassic World as well. Based on performances like these, Spielberg commented at the time that he would be interested in directing Indiana Jones 5 if Pratt played a young Indiana. In response, Pratt explained that he would be excited by the opportunity to take up the mantle of the classic archaeologist.
On the surface, recasting Indiana Jones seemed like a good idea. Pratt has proven that he can headline blockbuster action movies with both the MCU and Jurassic World franchises. This is greatly due to his ability to play a popular “everyman” character. In addition, Pratt’s age would allow for more creative freedom in planning Indiana Jones’ fights and action sequences. However, Pratt’s recast clearly did not happen since Ford is still portraying Indiana in the upcoming film. Ultimately, this may be the best decision for Indiana Jones 5. Although Pratt is a talented actor, he may not have fit the role of Indiana Jones well due to his goofy style which could have struggled to follow Ford’s iconic performance.
Why Indiana Jones Should Never Be Recast
Although Chris Pratt may have been the best choice to recast Indiana Jones, especially since Indy influenced some of his characters, he would have had a different style than Harrison Ford. While it is normal for actors to have unique takes on the same character, Pratt’s style tends to be distinctly goofier than that of Ford. Given his background in comedy with sitcoms like Parks and Recreation, this approach makes sense for Pratt and probably influenced his performance as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. However, any actor who tried to step into Ford’s shoes would have been heavily compared to him. If Pratt had played Indiana with a more humorous tone, many viewers and critics would not have taken the change well.
Additionally, Harrison Ford’s performance as Indiana Jones is too iconic to recast. In an interview, Ford stated, “When I die, Indiana Jones dies.” When dispelling rumors about a recast, Pratt cited this quote as one of the main reasons he no longer wanted to portray Indiana. Even Lucasfilm seemed to agree with studio president Kathleen Kennedy saying that they would only make more Indiana Jones movies with Ford’s involvement. While Chris Pratt is a popular and skilled actor, the nostalgia surrounding Indiana Jones’ classic character would make it impossible to recast Harrison Ford.
