Indiana Jones CAN Continue Without Harrison Ford, Lucasfilm Boss Teases Franchise Future

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy suggests the Indiana Jones franchise could continue without its lead star. Harrison Ford is returning for a fifth and final adventure in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which finds the archaeologist teaming up with his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) to find the eponymous artifact before its falls into the hands of the former Nazi Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). While promoting the fifth film, Ford has been adamant that this will be his final portrayal of Indiana Jones, and Disney has even called it the end of the entire franchise.

Now, after Disney CEO Bob Iger walked back Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny being the end of the franchise, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy is following suit. Appearing on Dagobah Dispatch: An EW Star Wars Podcast, Kennedy hinted that the Indiana Jones franchise could continue without Ford after Dial of Destiny. The Lucasfilm president said the franchise’s future “might be in series television,” though she and her fellow producer Steven Spielberg agree that Indiana Jones should not be recast. Read Kennedy’s full comments or listen to the podcast below:

It’s Harrison’s last entry. That’s how we look at the Indy franchise. I mean, truthfully, right now, if we were to do anything, it might be in series television down the road, but we’re not doing anything to replace Indiana Jones. This is it. There are five movies that Harrison Ford did. And Harrison is so specific and so unique to creating this role. We just, Steven [Spielberg] agrees, we just wouldn’t do that.

Why There Is Conflicting Information On The Future Of The Indiana Jones Franchise

The conflicting information on the future of the Indiana Jones franchise seems like a classic case of its lead star, Ford, wanting to hang up his bullwhip and fedora after five installments, though executives like Iger and Kennedy aren’t too keen on letting the lucrative IP end here. Kennedy’s comment about the franchise having a future in “series television” is in line with the report that Lucasfilm is developing an Indiana Jones TV show for Disney+. However, the series won’t focus on Indy or Helena, according to James Mangold.

Related: Indiana Jones Will Return After Indy 5 (Even If Harrison Ford Disagrees)

Ford seems set on Dial of Destiny being his final portrayal of Indiana Jones, claiming it ends the franchise “not with a whimper, but a bang.” However, following its premiere at Cannes, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny‘s reviews have resulted in the series-worst Rotten Tomatoes score, suggesting it may actually end with a whimper. Disney and Lucasfilm will likely wait until after the fifth Indiana Jones film is released on June 30 to make a final decision about the future, but if it’s another financial success, the franchise will likely find a way to continue.

Source: Dagobah Dispatch: An EW Star Wars Podcast