Indiana Jones 5 star Harrison Ford shared that he didn't think it was necessary to make another sequel in the franchise. Ford has played the intrepid archeologist and explorer for decades since debuting the character in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, completing the 1980s trilogy inspired by classic film serials in 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The franchise was briefly resurrected in 2008 for Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull with the intention of passing the torch to Shia LaBeouf as Jones' son, but after the film was received poorly by audiences and critics alike it went dormant until the currently untitled fifth film (due in theaters on June 30, 2023) was announced.
Empire recently sat down with Ford for their cover story on Indiana Jones 5. He revealed that he was curious about exploring where the character might be at this point in his life, but he was only interested if he was presented with a script that intrigued him. That clearly was the case with this new project, but he still admitted that "I didn't feel it was necessary to do another one."
Indiana Jones Needs A Better Conclusion
While Ford doesn't think it was an absolute necessity to continue the story of Indiana Jones, most fans would disagree. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was largely a disappointment on a quality level. While the film does have its passionate defenders, most point to its over-the-top villain, sub-par CGI, and the inclusion of aliens as a black mark on the Indiana Jones franchise.
Regardless of one's own response to that film in particular, the franchise certainly didn't follow through on the promise made by that sequel, which ended with Indiana Jones and his longtime love interest Marion getting married while it was implied that LaBeouf's character Mutt would continue his father's swashbuckling adventures. While that thread will likely be mostly ignored in the new film, the fact that it exists at all prevents Crystal Skull from being a satisfying conclusion to the franchise. It is understandable that there is only so much more energy Ford can give to this particular role, but the iconic character does deserve a sendoff that is more focused on honoring his legacy, something that Indiana Jones 5, which was helmed by Logan's James Mangold, can provide.
Harrison Ford Has Returned To His Most Iconic Roles
Regardless of the star's thoughts on the necessity of Indiana Jones 5, it is also true that Ford has made a habit of returning to give his most iconic roles a victory lap. His star-making performance as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy was resurrected in 2015 with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and repeated in 2019's Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. His other iconic sci-fi role, Rick Deckard in 1982's Ridley Scott epic Blade Runner, was likewise honored in the 2017 legacy sequel Blade Runner 2049. Necessary or not, the fact that he has been given the opportunity to breathe new life into so many iconic roles must have been an irresistible proposition.
Source: Empire
