Indiana Jones: How Does Dial Of Destiny Set Up A Sequel?

Contains spoilers for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"

It's rare to get a sense of closure in major Hollywood productions these days, but "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" has certainly been marketed as the end of an era. Promotional materials for the adventure film have labeled it as Harrison Ford's fifth and final outing as the legendary archaeologist. Given the actor's age, pulling him out of the saddle makes sense for one last go-round.

And the film ends in a place seemingly suggesting Indy's done for good. He reunites with Marion (Karen Allen) at his apartment, and despite divorcing, things appear to have been patched up between the two. It's a fitting end. Indy avoids biting the dust for the time being and instead gets to live happily ever after with his one true love.

"Dial of Destiny" feels like a proper ending for the "Indiana Jones" franchise. It could end right here with no more sequels or spin-offs and feel like a resolution. However, where there's money to be made, more installments won't be far behind. And there are several ways for the adventurer's legacy to continue. 

Despite much of the marketing saying this is Indy's last adventure, there could always be a way to bring him out of retirement. Granted, Harrison Ford is 80 years old, so he may be done with these kinds of films. But it may not be out of the question for someone else to take on the main role, with Indiana Jones taking on more of a supporting role. 

The most obvious choice after "Dial of Destiny" is Helena Shaw, a.k.a. Wombat (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). She's Indy's goddaughter and has proven quite adept at deciphering clues and fighting bad guys. It's possible she could lead an "Indiana Jones" spin-off where she gets wrapped up in another adventure. Of course, she isn't the first companion Indy's had over the years. 

For years, many people assumed Indy's son, Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), could take over the mantle, but "Dial of Destiny" establishes that he died in the service. Another option many fans would be okay with is bringing back Short Round (Ke Huy Quan). He may not appear in the latest Indy flick, but according to comic books and other reference materials, he also became an adventurer later in life. It wouldn't be out of the question for him to come back, either on his own or teaming up with Wombat. Plus, Quan has a lot of goodwill built up after his Oscar-winning turn in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Several options are on the table, and that's without getting into a major plot development in "Dial of Destiny" that opens up many other doors.

Of course, the Antikythera opens the doors for time travel, detecting ripples people can go through to enter different periods. Its effects are fully realized in "Dial of Destiny," as Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) attempts to use it to go back to 1939, only to end up thousands of years in the past due to a mistranslation. The Dial is still out there, so it wouldn't be out of the question for someone else to learn how to read it accurately to travel precisely when they need to. 

This opens up many intriguing possibilities if someone else takes up the series mantle. Whether it's Wombat or Short Round, someone could theoretically use the Dial to travel back in time to locate a mysterious artifact or find information unavailable in the present. This could result in a new "Indiana Jones" film that's partly a sequel and prequel. The new hero could even go back to a time when a younger Indy would've been alive and adventuring more in earnest. The franchise is clearly willing to de-age Harrison Ford, given the opening sequence of "Dial of Destiny," so it could do something similar in a follow-up.

Utilizing time travel could make for one final blowout where many different characters from throughout the franchise return for one last adventure. Then again, the "Indiana Jones" series has never really been one to double-dip on magical artifacts, so maybe the Dial will remain locked away in storage for the time being. Regardless, there are many ways to keep Indy's legacy going, even if he's no longer the center of attention.