Indiana Jones 5 deaging Harrison Ford is a huge risk for the sequel, but it could be a brilliant move from director James Mangold if it works. While audiences will see an older Indiana Jones for the majority of the movie, it has now been confirmed that Indiana Jones 5 begins with a flashback sequence featuring a de-aged Harrison Ford. The action scene takes place in 1944 with Ford being de-aged through CGI to allow him to play Indiana Jones a few years after Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade takes place.
Hollywood has become more comfortable with deaging actors over the years, but the results have been mixed. Indiana Jones 5 is now going to try and prove how well it can be done. It should help that Lucasfilm has a better track record than most (see young Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett). Viewers are likely to be excited about seeing a young Indiana Jones adventure again, but that does not mean the flashback is not without risk. If Indiana Jones 5 does not do a convincing job at using CGI to de-age Harrison Ford to be several decades younger, the movie will begin on a bad note.
Why Deaging Harrison Ford In Indiana Jones 5 Could Backfire
The technological side of Indiana Jones 5's deaging might have Harrison Ford's full support, but the movie will have to do an excellent job not to draw any criticisms. Audiences are fully aware of what Harrison Ford looked like a few decades ago, so there will be little room for error when making Indiana Jones younger. Even if the facial deaging works, there is still the complication of making Indiana Jones move like a younger man. The Irishman and Captain Marvel encountered some issues with deaging actors' faces but the characters still moved like they are older. Copying how Lucasfilm did young Luke in The Mandalorian could help tremendously.
There is also a slightly more rare challenge that comes with deaging Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones 5, as the sequence will transport viewers back in the Indiana Jones timeline to an era of prime Indiana Jones. This means that the opening flashback scene needs to match the quality of the original trilogy, which contains one of the greatest action movies of all time. Indiana Jones 5 deaging Harrison Ford to this degree makes the comparisons only more natural, which were going to happen regardless. But now the movie quite literally has to show audiences the 1944 scene is at least a similar level of quality as Steven Spielberg's movies.
If It Comes Off, Deaging Harrison Ford In Indiana Jones 5 Could Be Brilliant
For as risky as deaging Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones 5 is, the movie will be all the more impressive if it pulls it off. This would mean that James Mangold kicks off the sequel with a sequence that immediately invokes the classic Indiana Jones movies, which are sure to be some of the fondest memories of many Indiana Jones 5 viewers. Reminding them of those magical times with a prime Indiana Jones fighting Nazis and other bad guys will be a brilliant way to start Indiana Jones 5 before it moves the story forward to let Harrison Ford's older archeologist take center stage.
