Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will not feature the controversial character of Shia LaBeouf's Mutt from the previous film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but audiences will find out what happened to him. The upcoming action-adventure movie is due for a June 30, 2023 release, and will be the fifth installment in the hugely successful Indiana Jones franchise, as well as the final movie to star Harrison Ford in the titular role. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and the character of Mutt in particular, was not well received with audiences.
However, this is not going to be a case of revisionist history, with the movie pretending the character never existed in the first instance; instead, his absence in the movies is set to be touched upon, and audiences will get answers to explain what has happened to the character. According to director James Mangold, who also helmed the critically acclaimed X-Men movie Logan, audiences will discover what becomes of the character, but the 59-year-old remained tight-lipped on what that might be. Here is an extract from Mangold's Entertainment Weekly interview:
"LaBeouf and his character will not be in Dial of Destiny, and Mangold promises audiences will "find out what happened" to him, but of course, won't say more."
Why Not Including Mutt Is Best For The Movie
Mutt not returning is very likely to be a creative decision, but following LaBeouf's public criticism of Spielberg and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it seems unlikely he was approached about the fifth movie. The character of Helena, Indy's goddaughter, played by Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, was most likely written in as a replacement of sorts for the Mutt character, which will come as a positive for many fans, who were left underwhelmed by the last installment, and balked at attempts to make Mutt too much like his father. The franchise needs a strong installment in order to give Ford the send-off he deserves, as well as retain interest in the possibility of reviving Indiana Jones in the coming years.
This means the movie needs to stand on its own two feet, by staying true to the themes of an Indiana Jones movie, as well as combining new characters with old ones. The Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer revealed that John Rhys-Davies' character Sallah will be returning, and it is important that the movie doesn't lean too heavily on legacy characters, yet another reason against the inclusion of Mutt in the film. Then there is also the fact that the character's lack of popularity could well have harmed the public reaction to a fifth movie, and it is important for the film to be as well-received as possible.
Taking place in 1969, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will feature Ford's Jones as a fish out of water, in an era he (and audiences) will be unfamiliar with in the context of the franchise. This is already taking something of a risk with the character, so it seems likely the inclusion of Mutt would be viewed as a further unnecessary risk the movie doesn't need to take. With an exciting ensemble cast for the new movie, there would also seem little need or desire for Mutt to be shoehorned back into the story at this stage. Disney will be hoping that, provided character's omission can be explained in an adequate way, and everything else works well, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny should be an exciting new installment that fans will take to fondly.
Source: EW
