The fifth "Indiana Jones" movie seems to be ready to go, reuniting Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg for the first time since 2008. The next film in the series is slated for a 2019 release, indicating a timetable similar to that of the reboot of "Star Wars," which also starred Ford.

The last "Indy" movie, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," was not the success that Lucasfilm had hoped for. The film managed a respectable 76 percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was still criticized heavily by fans and critics alike.

Ford, Spielberg and the studio have a lot at stake on this new film. As with "Star Wars," Disney must do its utmost to regain the franchise's credibility.

The Polarizing Fourth Installment

Key to the new movie's success is Ford, the main star of the series. The last film kept him in the spotlight, but also deferred to Shia LaBeouf's character Mutt Williams, who, spoiler alert, is in fact Indiana's son. The film ended on Indy and Marion Ravenwood's (Karen Allen) wedding and a hint at the passing of the baton from Ford to LaBeouf.

Ford has not carried a movie on his own in quite a few years. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" featured him prominently, but it mainly concerned a younger generation of actors. Other films such as "The Age of Adaline," "The Expendables 3" and "Ender's Game," to name some of Ford's most recent work, revolved around younger, supporting cast members.

To put it succinctly, Ford has not been the main man in any of his movies of late. That is no attack on Ford's talent. At 72, he is simply at the age to take roles that are not quite as prominent.

The early "Indiana Jones" films did place the onus greatly on him, particularly the first two, but the new one is going to need an infusion of youth.

What the Film Needs

The challenge is justifying the film in light of the fourth installment. The franchise came to a tidy close in the last film, and it seemed reasonable that a reboot would feature a new cast and crew to give the story a fresh start. The choice to bring back the same actor and director almost implies that there is unfinished business.

A youthful sidekick might be useful in that the character might finally take over for the aging hero for future installments. Disney is not here for a one-off with this franchise, and the studio is likely planning more films. If Spielberg is coming back to continue the same story in the fifth film, he will probably make it a set-up for the story thereafter. 

However, the franchise should certainly not kill off Indy. That was the choice Disney made with "Star Wars," giving the character of Han Solo true closure. Indiana Jones does not need that kind of heroes' sendoff. 

The Internet did not take particularly well to the announcement of a new movie, though when does it ever? The reality is that, while fans may have been ready to embrace another film, they likely expected a complete restart from scratch.

This is a surprising development for the franchise, but considering how Disney handled the transition in "Star Wars," perhaps its a standard move for the studio.