'Indiana Jones 5' News Update: Harrison Ford Is Only Man for Role According to Producer
Producer Frank Marshall recently claimed it's Harrison Ford or bust for the next "Indiana Jones" film, requiring the actor return for the series to move forward.
Marshall said in an interview with Total Film that he had no intention of recasting the famed character for any upcoming film, according Den of Geek.
"There are a lot of rumors," Marshall stated during the interview. "We haven't even sat down to talk about Indy yet ... at some point we'll sit down. But there's a bunch of people who could probably take the baton. [But we are] not doing the Bond thing where we're going to call somebody else Indiana Jones ... we have to figure this out."
Since Disney's takeover of Lucasfilm in 2012, some have expected the beloved franchise would be rebooted. Rumors circulated that Chris Pratt, fresh off such successes as "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World," would be the man to fill the boots and wear the fedora that only Ford has ported in the first four movies of the series.
It would seem a logical choice to have Ford pass the baton to someone else, if the franchise is to remain viable for years to come. Ford is currently 73 and cannot be expected to perform massive stunts forever. In fact, he recently injured himself during production for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which could be a sign that he will not endure many more "Indiana Jones" or "Star Wars" sequels.
Director Steven Spielberg noted recently that he wanted to make a final movie in the franchise with Ford. The film could be a final hurrah of sorts for the two.
That said, it is unlikely that Disney would throw away such a gold mine series because of Marshall. The producer is likely looking at short-term productions of the film. Over the long run, it is likely that "Indiana Jones" movies will resort to the "James Bond" formula.
Seven actors have taken on the role of James Bond across 24 films. Sean Connery was Bond between 1962 and 67, and then again in 1971 and 1983. David Niven did one film in 1967, and George Lazenby did another in 1969. Roger Moore took over between 1973 and 1985, before Timothy Dalton took the baton between 1986 and 1994. Pierce Brosnan played the icon between 1995 and 2004, and Daniel Craig has made four films in the series since 2006.
Pratt might just wear that fedora in the near future, if not in the next film.