Despite recently being debunked by director James Mangold, rumours and theories that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will end with some sort of passing of the torch continue to circulate online. For many, that's only fuelling their outrage at a movie they believe is "too woke" simply because it introduces Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena, Indy's goddaughter.
While there was a time Lucasfilm considered casting a new actor as Indiana Jones (Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt, to be precise), a very vocal backlash put an end to that.
Even so, many fans remain convinced The Dial of Destiny will conclude with the iconic adventurer's death, leaving Helena to take over his gig in what would then be a female-led action franchise. During a recent interview, Harrison Ford himself was asked if he's passing the baton to Waller-Bridge, and his response was a blunt one.
"No, I’m just telling a story," the actor says in the video below. "Telling a story. You’ll see. You’ll see. I hope you like it."
This lines up with recent comments from Mangold who took to Twitter to say, "One more time. No one is 'taking over' or replacing Indy or donning his hat nor is he being 'erased' [through] some contrivance - and he never was, not not in any cut or script - but trolls will troll - that’s how they get their clicks."
With Mangold at the helm, we've been anticipating Indiana Jones 5 being something special, and all signs point to it eventually ranking among 2023's best movies. Ford's long-awaited return as the iconic adventurer is incredibly exciting, especially as we'll be following him both in the late 1960s and as a younger man. Will we say a permanent goodbye to Indy here? It seems likely.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023.