Indiana Jones Fans Love Ke Huy Quan, But Are Split On Him Taking Up The Mantle
When Ke Huy Quan won big at the 2023 Academy Awards for "Everything Everywhere All At Once," his career came full circle when he shared the stage with — and embraced — presenter Harrison Ford, with whom he co-starred in his 1984 feature film debut, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Their reunion, and Quan's career resurgence in general, has now sparked an online debate as to whether Quan should take over the "Indiana Jones" franchise.
It's clear, as Reddit users like u/Gurdy0714 have written, that Indiana Jones himself can't be recast — the role is Ford's, and Ford's alone. However, as the same user points out, bringing back an adult version of the beloved Short Round could be a way to continue forward in a way most fans would respect, or in their words, "Short Round was a part of the original canon, and he could come back as another anthropologist who had learned from Indy and wants to continue Indy's work."
In that same thread, a number of fans agreed, noting that as long as the franchise endures, switching the focus to Short Round is preferable to a reboot. "I'm not usually a fan of legacy sequels," replied u/F4tMan96, "but this is an idea I can completely get behind." However, not all fans were on board with the idea — primarily because they think Quan has too much talent to get bottled up in the "Indiana Jones" franchise forever.
Some fans would rather see Quan exploring new roles
A flurry of Redditors jumped in to nix the idea of more "Indiana Jones" films. Their contention wasn't with Ke Huy Quan, who they fully supported, but rather the notion of another never-ending franchise.
"I hope Ke Huy Quan gets whatever opportunities he wants," wrote u/DrRexMorman to over 1,000 upvotes, but also expressed that the "Indiana Jones" series should have rode into the sunset after the original trilogy capper, "The Last Crusade." Other users such as u/MapleHamwich echoed that sentiment, adding that Quan should be able to find new roles in new franchises that he can define on his own terms, instead of being — in essence — Indiana Jones #2.
Some fans hypothesized that "Indiana Jones" won't be the only franchise to try and capitalize off of Quan's success. "I honestly wonder if his Oscar win will kickstart a Goonies legacy sequel," wondered u/riegspsych325, referencing the 1985 adventure film. After all, similar teen ensemble flicks like "It" and "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" have been successful in that capacity. However, such an idea may encounter the same resistance as the post-"Last Crusade" movies featuring Henry Jones Jr., and other such franchise revivals.
For what it's worth, Quan himself said he would be more than happy to reprise the role of Short Round in a spin-off, expressing that it's a character he still feels a deep affection towards.