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A Final Indiana Jones Outing Was Always In The Cards For Harrison Ford

In just a few months, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" will be arriving in theaters and all will be right in the world again. Harrison Ford will be back on our big screens in the iconic role that helped solidify his legacy as a movie star. The legendary action franchise will once again be inspiring moviegoers to take up archeology or, at the very least, a whip. However, there was once a time when many people thought Ford wouldn't ever play Dr. Jones again following the disaster that was "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Other actors were even rumored to take on the Indy mantle, which Ford didn't take too kindly to over the years.

"I'm Indiana Jones," he famously told "The Today Show" in 2019. "When I'm gone, he's gone."

Since "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" came out in 2008, numerous big names have been linked to the "Indiana Jones" franchise as possible choices for its titular star, including Shia LaBeouf and "Jurassic World" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" actor Chris Pratt, who didn't seem too stoked last year to take on such a massive role — especially after hearing what Ford had said previously. 

"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," Pratt explained on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast. "He 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 [Indy]?" But apparently, despite all the casting rumors, Ford now insists that a fifth "Indiana Jones" movie was always in the cards for him.

Ford always wanted to play out the end of Indy's career

According to Harrison Ford, having someone else play Indiana Jones in the upcoming fifth installment wasn't an option because he always had his heart set on completing Indy's story. He told Variety in a new interview: "I always wanted to do it. I wanted to do the rest of the story to see the end of his career."

Speaking at the premiere of his Apply TV+ show "Shrinking," Ford claimed that "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" would finally be his last outing with the hat and whip. "It's the last time for me," Ford insisted. The Hollywood heavyweight told Empire Magazine in November 2022 that he's always wanted to see things through as Indy, he was just waiting for a script that fit perfectly. 

"I just thought it would be nice to see one where Indiana Jones was at the end of his journey," Ford said. "If a script came along that I felt gave me a way to extend the character." As seen in the "Dial of Destiny" trailer, Jones is expected to be taking on Nazis alongside new and familiar faces, like John Rhys-Davies' Sallah and new villain Klaber, played by Boyd Holbrook. James Mangold is at the helm as director, along with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas as executive producers. John Williams, meanwhile, is making his triumphant return as the film's composer.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" will hit theaters June 30, 2023.