With Harrison Ford returning for a final time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, there’s good reason to think that the franchise might kill off its long-time protagonist. Long production gaps between the Indiana Jones movies and Harrison Ford seemingly eyeing retirement provide possible reasons that could have contributed to the decision of abandoning further Indiana Jones sequels with the actor. With confirmation from Ford that Indiana Jones 5 will be his last appearance in the franchise, killing Indiana Jones almost feels like a necessity.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is already set to rehash elements of the earlier films, showing it’s probably a good time to end the series. Indy’s age and a hope for one more adventure were already themes in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Those same themes promise to be central to the fifth film, but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailers suggest that the movie will pay homage to the entire franchise, spending more time looking back than forward. As a greatest hits, this highlights the ending of the story and raises the question of whether Indiana Jones will die on his last adventure.
Why Indiana Jones Will Probably Die In Dial Of Destiny
In the Indiana Jones movies, it is clear that Dr. Jones prefers to drop his university schedule in favor of going on adventures despite them containing inherent dangers to his life. While no fan is going to be eager to see Indy get rolled over by a giant boulder, if he must die then it would be true to the character for it to be while he is doing what he does best: preventing evil powers from acquiring ancient artifacts with mystical properties. With such high stakes, it’s possible that Indiana Jones’ death could come in the form of self-sacrifice to aid the greater good.
Harrison Ford’s return to one of his iconic roles in Indiana Jones has not been an isolated incident in recent years. Harrison Ford only agreed to return for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, if Han Solo would be killed off (as had been the first plan for the original trilogy) and his belated return to Indy might mean the same fate is in the Dr. Jones’ future. This send-off could in turn open doors for other storylines to be explored. In Star Wars, for example, the backstory of Solo being Kylo Ren’s father contributes to setting up Kylo’s character, including all his inner conflicts, ambitions, and the killing of his own father.
Why Indy Might Get A Happy Ending After All
While there’s good reasons to think that Indiana Jones will die in Dial of Destiny, there’s still hope that Indiana Jones might get a happy ending by finding joy in retirement. There’s plenty of scope for Indiana Jones to finally find peace and move on from his restless treasure hunting. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull attempted to set up Indy passing the torch to a new hero with the character of Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), and that idea could easily be revisited in Indiana Jones 5 with a new, younger character. This would, of course, provide the perfect setup for the franchise to continue a few years down the line.
While the return of Han Solo in Star Wars might imply that Ford wants to kill his old characters, Blade Runner 2049 and the return of Ford’s Deckard demonstrates a willingness for slightly happier endings. Even an open-ended finale for Indiana Jones that leaves his death unclear would be welcome, as it would leave Harrison Ford fans with one last mystery to solve, and allow Indiana Jones to become part of a legend in his own right. This would ultimately give audiences hope that there is a satisfying happy ending for the adventure-hungry Indiana Jones. Ultimately, regardless of whether Indy dies in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, it seems probable that there will be a reboot or spin-off in the franchise’s future, even if that means doing it without Harrison Ford.
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