Director James Mangold says Indiana Jones 5 underwent rewrites to better work Harrison Ford's age into the movie's script. The long-awaited sequel will be Ford's final appearance in the franchise after four previous outings as the iconic archeologist. While details around the movie have been kept well under wraps, the film will be the first not to be directed by Steven Spielberg, with Logan's Mangold taking the lead behind the camera. Alongside Ford, the movie will also see the return of John Rhys-Davies as series regular Sallah, with a host of newcomers, some of whom include Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, joining Indy's final outing.
But while no doubt an exciting endeavor for Mangold, there were certain things the director wanted to ensure the final Indiana Jones chapter addressed. During an interview with Empire, Mangold describes how the movie's script underwent rewrites to ensure it correctly dealt with Ford's age. Check out what Mangold shared below:
“It became really important to me to figure out how to make this a movie about a hero at sunset. The issues I brought up about Indy’s age were not things I thought were being addressed in the material being developed at the time. There were ‘old’ jokes, but the material itself wasn’t about it. To me, whatever you greatest liability, you should fly straight towards that. If you try to pretend it’s not there, you end up getting slings and arrows the whole way.”
Now Is The Perfect Time To Say Goodbye To Indiana Jones
Despite being one of Ford's most famous characters, it feels fitting for this to be Indy's last outing. While joking during his recent D23 appearance about how he will "not fall down" for fans anymore, the fact remains that characters like Indiana Jones are incredibly demanding to play, and with Ford now 80, it makes sense for the actor to step back from such intense roles. Ford's far from done acting entirely, given he's gearing up to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thunderbolt Ross, but waving goodbye to characters like Indiana Jones and Han Solo will allow the actor to flex his acting credentials elsewhere.
With the reception toward the franchise's fourth entry, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, decidedly polarized, the character deserves a fitting sendoff. While Spielberg handing the reins over may seem strange on the surface, especially as the legendary director has remained behind the franchise since its inaugural outing 41 years ago, the movie appears to be in safe hands with Mangold. Mangold is demonstrating he has a clear direction with where he wants to take Indy's final adventure, and his latest comments confirm he wants to ensure the movie respects both the character and Ford himself.
Although very little information about the movie has been revealed, social media buzz surrounding Ford's last Indiana Jones appearance continues to grow, a testament to the popularity of the character. It's a success that couldn't have been achieved by anyone other than Ford, and while it will no doubt be a sad moment to say goodbye to the whip-cracking, quick-witted explorer, at least Ford has one final chance to send the character off on a high. With Indiana Jones 5 set for a June 2023 release, audiences can only hope the highly anticipated trailer drops soon to see just how well Mangold has honored the much-beloved character.