In 2018, Lucasfilm released Solo: A Star Wars Story, a movie telling Han Solo's origin story. It was a fun ride and a movie that boasted a talented lead in Alden Ehrenreich. However, the actor was faced with the impossible task of following in the footsteps of the irreplaceable Harrison Ford, and it was clear that, for the most part, fans didn't want to see someone else take on such an iconic role.
Talking to Vanity Fair, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy reflected on that decision and brushed off any suggestions of eventually tapping a different actor to play Indiana Jones.
"There should be moments along the way when you learn things. That may have certainly been a learning moment. Some people have talked about how, well, maybe Solo should have been a TV show. But even doing Solo as a TV show without Harrison Ford as Han Solo...it's the same thinking," Kennedy explained, reflecting on past mistakes. "Maybe I should have recognized this before."
"We would never make Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford. Having just finished the fifth movie, I can tell you, there wasn't a day I wasn't on set where I wasn't like, 'Yes - this is Indiana Jones.'"
Indiana Jones 5 is likely to be Ford's last time playing the character, and it's a little surprising to think that Disney will then forever leave the franchise on the shelf. The expectation is that Ford will be de-aged for parts of James Mangold's upcoming movie, but you have to believe Lucasfilm is mulling over some ideas to continue the franchise, even if it's with a completely different lead character.
The movie will star Antonio Banderas, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Toby Jones, Thomas Kretschmann, and Mads Mikkelsen. It's set to be released on June 30, 2023.