Indiana Jones 5 director James Mangold shot down a fake title rumor. Harrison Ford debuted as the now-iconic bullwhip-wielding archaeologist in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. He returned for two more sequels in 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and capped off the original trilogy in 1989 with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Nearly 20 years later, Ford returned to the Lucasfilm franchise for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, a revival that was well-received by critics, but split the fanbase right down the center.
More than ten years after the last installment, Ford will be returning yet again as one of the screen's most recognizable heroes, Indiana Jones, for the first time since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. Though Steven Spielberg was originally attached to direct after helming every film in the series so far, he stepped aside in favor of Ford v Ferrari's James Mangold. The project has assembled an impressive cast that includes Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Boyd Holbrook. Since production on the currently-untitled Indiana Jones 5 began earlier this month, there have been multiple teases in the way of set photos, hints at multiple timelines, and a rumored title.
Now, James Mangold is taking the time to address some of these rumors. A fan reached out to the director on Twitter, asking when Indiana Jones 5's title would be announced, claiming they saw a leak online revealing the title as Indiana Jones and the Empire of Evil. Mangold unequivocally debunked the rumor and said the official title will be unveiled at a later date. Check out the full interaction below:
This will likely come as a relief to many fans since the rumored title left a lot to be desired creatively. While there haven't been many titled-related teases to speculate off of, there have been plenty of set photos that strongly hint at the inclusion of multiple timelines and the return of Nazis as villains. As the franchise's first film under the Mouse House and not directed by Spielberg, the final Indiana Jones film starring Ford might be an outlier for that reason, but it is not expected to deviate that much in terms of style, tone, or story.
While the rumored title was in fact false, Mangold's tweet might spark some speculation as to when the official title will be revealed. Disney has a few theatrical releases this summer in the MCU's Black Widow and Jungle Cruise. Perhaps they could include an exclusive Indiana Jones 5 title reveal before these screenings to help lure audiences out to theaters, much like Universal is doing with the Jurassic World: Dominion preview before F9. Aquaman 2's release date is over a year away and James Wan just revealed its title, so expect Indiana Jones 5's official title reveal sooner rather than later.
Source: James Mangold