credit: Raiders of the Lost Ark
It looks like the legacy of the Indiana Jones franchise won’t end with the fifth movie after all. The fourth Indiana Jones movie, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, came out in 2008 and did not fare well with fans or critics. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull undeniably had its moments, not to mention Shia LaBeouf was at the peak of his career. Sadly, whatever redeeming qualities it had was thrown away by that very absurd ending…but don’t expect to see any aliens in this fifth movie. Fans can instead expect to see 80-year-old Harrison Ford absolutely owning the role as he always has. And no, we probably won’t see him pass on the torch to his son Mutt Williams.
This fifth Indiana Jones movie will most likely be the final adventure for the character. Needless to say, everything is riding on how good this movie is. However, reports have confirmed that there is an Indiana Jones series being developed for Disney+. Based on the details that have been given so far, the series will apparently focus on another character who isn’t the titular archeologist hero.
Will It Still Feel Like Indiana Jones Without Harrison Ford?
Right off the bat, the development of this Indiana Jones series incites a mixture of feelings amongst the fans. Should the Indiana Jones franchise even continue after this fifth movie? If Ford isn’t involved, then what’s the point? We could be looking at a similar situation to that of the 2018 Han Solo movie that didn’t involve Ford. While the movie itself was fun, it still remains the only Star Wars movie to be a box office bomb. A Han Solo movie without Ford playing him was always a risky idea and Disney and Lucasfilm took the chance. As a result of Solo‘s failure at the box office, they had to rethink their game plan for future Star Wars films, which meant no more movies centered on popular characters.
credit: The Temple of Doom
This could very well be same case for Indiana Jones, especially since that is his character. You can even argue that Indy is his signature character, even above our favorite space smuggler. His time as Han Solo came to an end in The Force Awakens, which was a tragic, yet poetic ending for the character. Han would meet his demise at the hands of his own son, Ben Solo, but his spirit would later urge him to turn against the dark side. Was that even really his spirit? Either way, Ford ended his time as one of his most signature characters and pretty soon he’ll be ending his time for another.
The Indiana Jones Series Will be a Prequel
If there are any theories on how the final adventure of Indiana Jones will end, my guess would be retirement. And why wouldn’t it be? Indy is already far past his prime and has likely spent a long period of time living the quiet life. After this last adventure, he’ll probably hang up the hat for good. We fans can only hope it’ll be a fitting conclusion for the character, but this upcoming series, which will expand on the legacy of the franchise, still incites curiosity for several reasons.
Based on the reports, the Indiana Jones series will be set as a prequel to the films. Could we be looking at a very young Indiana Jones during his earliest adventures. It would be hard to say no to that, because at least it’s more of Indy doing his thing. But still, the issue would remain the same, as a Harrison Ford-less Indiana Jones project of any kind would likely be uninteresting for fans. But according to several sources, it looks like this series might not even focus on a young Indy.
credit: The Last Crusade
Who is Abner Ravenwood?
Jeff Sneider from The Hot Mic podcast has given fans some clues as to who the series will center on. Based on his sources, the main protagonist will be Marion’s father, Abner Ravenwood. If there is some truth to this, then it could give us that look at a very young Indy being mentored by Marion’s father. Developing that relationship could lead into his very first adventure or at least show us when he decided to pursue archeology.
All of that sounds like an interesting concept, but the underlying issue would still be the same. If there is some truth to this rumor, we’ll be getting a prequel Indiana Jones series with little to no involvement of the titular hero. Even if he is in the series, we’ll be seeing him at the very beginning of his adventure-pursuing stage. It could work, but no matter what kind of idea is in store for the prequel series, the development of it rides completely on the success of the fifth movie. If it’s good and makes the money it needs to, the series will happen. And if it doesn’t, then it’ll end before it even begins. We’ll find out very soon.
What are your thoughts, Indiana Jones fans? Do you like the idea of a prequel series without Indy?
