Indiana Jones is right up there with the most loved and cherished franchises out there. While the franchise was initially supposed to be a trilogy, it has expanded to great heights. The first Indiana Jones film was released in 1981 and the most recent one was in 2008. The franchise is all ready for the release of its fifth film as Harrison Ford returns as Indy.
However, there was a time when actor Chris Pratt was rumored to be taking on the iconic character in the fifth film. But, as we all know now, that is not the case. What’s even more interesting is that Harrison Ford himself does not want any other actor to take his place, let alone Chris Pratt. According to him, Indiana Jones dies with him.
Harrison Ford is Keeping Indiana Jones to Himself
It is not unusual for different actors to take over iconic roles, take Superman as an example if you will. However, Harrison Ford does not believe in that ideology. Even though recasting a character is not out of the norm, Ford is not letting that happen and he is taking Indiana Jones to his grave. Talking to Today back in 2019, he was pretty straightforward with his plans for Indy. If the choice is up to Ford, then the character won’t be getting recast. Ever.
“Don’t you get it? I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone. It’s easy.”
As for Chris Pratt, while a lot of people seem to think the actor would make a pretty solid Indy, he himself has no wish to do so. Talking about the idea on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Pratt started off by joking that he didn’t know who Steven Spielberg was. Then, getting a bit serious with his answer, Pratt referenced Ford’s above-mentioned quote and stated that he didn’t want to get haunted by the legendary actor’s ghost if he ever plays Indy.
“I don’t even know who Steven Spielberg is. Who? Steven who? No, aren’t they doing Indiana Jones with Harrison Ford? All I know is I once saw a quote from Harrison Ford and I don’t even know if it was really him but it was enough to scare me, that was like, ‘When I die, Indiana Jones dies.’ And I’m like, am I gonna get haunted by the ghost of Harrison Ford one day when he dies if I play?”
It looks like Pratt is in no mood of witnessing any kind of supernatural experiences in his life. Needless to say, Ford has Pratt scared just enough that he won’t be playing the character anytime soon.
Why Harrison Ford Returned for Indiana Jones 5
Given the fact that Ford started off his journey as Indy a few decades back, it is astonishing and commendable to see him stick to the character for so long! When asked by Empire about why he decided to reprise the role again, Ford stated,
“I just thought it would be nice to see one where Indiana Jones was at the end of his journey.”
It looks like the fifth movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is the last we will ever get to see Ford play the iconic character. So what happens to Indy next? Will this be the end for the character? Well, rumors about the film’s test screening stated that in one of the endings, the torch was being passed to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena. However, director James Mangold confirmed that Indiana Jones will never be replaced. We can’t wait to see how things turn out!
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will release on June 30, 2023.
Source: Today
