Continuing the franchise with Indiana Jones 5 after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull causes a major problem for the upcoming sequel. Undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the action-adventure genre, the Indiana Jones franchise features one of pop culture's most iconic characters. After an initial trilogy of well-loved films that have since become classics, the Indiana Jones franchise continued with 2006's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Following the titular archaeologist-adventurer as he is pit against Soviet KGB agents in the 1950s while searching for a telepathic crystal skull, the film was widely disliked by many. Despite being a box office success, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has since passed into infamy as one of the most ill-informed sequels ever made. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's problems were many, but with the franchise set to continue with Indiana Jones 5, the upcoming sequel faces some major narrative hurdles.
As Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is considered to be the worst of the franchise by far, Indiana Jones 5 will have a lot to live up to. Not only will it need to recapture the magic and action of earlier installments despite its aging star, but Indiana Jones 5 will also need to overcome the mistakes of the previous movie, too. Being forced to address the franchise's biggest mistakes and bring Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones story to a satisfying conclusion are both huge tasks in their own right, but by being forced to do both, Indiana Jones 5 may struggle to find its own tone.
Indiana Jones 5 Will Need To Address Crystal Skull's Sci-Fi Story
As Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's aliens were Indiana Jones' first genuine foray into sci-fi, it lent the film an air of separation from the character's first three cinematic outings. While supernatural elements form the backbone of the Indiana Jones franchise, sci-fi is subtly different and as a result, Indiana ones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull didn't entirely match the established tone of previous movies. Indiana Jones' previous stories were driven by religious artifacts, which was a logical pursuit for an archaeologist raised by a man obsessed with finding the Holy Grail, but Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's aliens stepped just outside of the realms of probability and into uncharted territory for the Indiana Jones franchise: science fiction.
While this direction may not have been well-received, Indiana Jones 5 can't entirely ignore it. As the existence of technologically-advanced aliens has been confirmed in the franchise, Indiana Jones 5 will be forced to at least address the events of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, however briefly. While Indiana Jones has always featured elements of historical and religious fantasy, science fiction is now also an established part of the franchise, and that's not something that it can now shy away from.
Shia LaBeouf Isn't Returning – What Happened To Mutt?
One of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's other glaring issues was the addition of Shia LaBeouf's Mutt Williams. Mutt is Indiana Jones' son, and was introduced into the story as a sidekick (and potential successor) to his father. However, LaBeouf reportedly won't be returning, and although the character wasn't well-loved, his absence will still leave a narrative hole in Indiana Jones 5.
As Kingdom of the Crystal Skull establishes that Mutt is Indy's son, and the two establish a relatively close bond over the course of the film, Indiana Jones 5 will at least need to address his absence. Exactly how this will be achieved isn't clear, although LaBeouf's character was an integral part of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's story. As Crystal Skull favored using Mutt over former sidekick Short Round, the franchise essentially established LaBeouf's character as the future of the franchise, but with it reported that the actor will not return, this causes an unavoidable behind-the-scenes issue in Indiana Jones 5 's narrative.
How Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Changed The Indiana Jones Franchise
Even though Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is considered the worst of the franchise, it has still played a significant part in shaping the overall narrative of Indiana Jones. Not only did it introduce Mutt Williams as Indiana Jones' son and heavy aspects of science fiction into the franchise, but it also established the nature of the relationship between its titular character and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). As Indy and Marion marry at the end of the film, she will also warrant at least a passing mention in Indiana Jones 5.
This in itself may lead to a strange ending for Indiana Jones, as Kingdom of the Crystal Skull implies a happy retirement and quiet family life for the adventurer. While bringing the bullwhip and fedora back for one last outing clearly isn't out of the question, Jones will need a good reason to do so, especially as he will undoubtedly be facing the trials of age. In its use of a sci-fi story and the film's conclusive (if unsatisfying) ending, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will make the existence of Indiana Jones 5 important to justify with something epic - not just an end to Indiana Jones' story for its own sake, but something both satisfying and significant.
Indiana Jones 5 Will Have To Use Sci-Fi (Even Though It's Bad For The Franchise)
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's aliens may have been ridiculed, but the introduction of sci-fi into the Indiana Jones franchise isn't something that can be ignored. The idea that the titular adventurer is aware of the existence of aliens and their place in human history is groundbreaking, and it's not something that Indiana Jones 5 can write off - no matter how poor Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's story may have been. This, along with speculation that the film will be set in the 1960s, makes another sci-fi story all but a certainty.
The rumors that Indiana Jones 5 will use time travel also seem to feed directly into the idea that the sequel will also incorporate elements of sci-fi. While it may have been the most obvious source of ridicule for the franchise's least popular film, the introduction of sci-fi into Indiana Jones is now impossible to ignore, and it's something that the sequel will undoubtedly be forced to make use of in some way. Creatively written, this could be tied into the potential rebooting of the franchise - even if that's something that many hope won't be the case. Regardless of exactly what Indiana Jones 5's plot will concern, it will still need to overcome the poor reputation of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which is no mean feat in itself.
