How Will the Indiana Jones Franchise Continue Without Harrison Ford?

The fifth instalment of the much-loved Indiana Jones series is set for release next year, with Harrison Ford pretty much confirming that it will be his last outing as the intrepid explorer. It will spell the end of an era and will hopefully be a worthy climax for a character that has had such a huge influence on the movie industry.

The question then turns to how the franchise will continue after this. The fifth film will not spell an end to the series, and there are many directions that it could go in.

Ford Set to Star in His Last Adventure

At 80 years of age, Ford’s glittering career is winding down. He wanted to get one last chance to star in the series that made him the A-lister he is today, though, and has already finished filming the still untitled fifth Indiana Jones picture. It’s set to be released in 2023, and it’s likely to be a huge box-office event.

According to DigitalSpy, Ford has claimed that it could be his final outing, but he didn’t give a definitive answer. However, it’s looking most likely that it will be, and director James Mangold is preparing to give Jones a good send-off in the new film. Ford also has other commitments lined up and has been cast as Thaddeus Ross in the MCU. This suggests that he is unlikely to get the chance to play Jones again.  

Could Go for a Female Lead

The Indiana Jones franchise is a major cash cow for Walt Disney Studios, and the company will not want to let it go. It may, therefore, look for other ways to continue it without the title character involved. One way to do this would be to look to Indiana Jones-inspired games for answers.

One of the top slot games influenced by Indiana Jones was Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead. That was so popular that it led to Cat Wilde and the Doom of Dead at NetBet. The game uses the same tropes that made its predecessor so well-loved but also brought a new twist with a female lead. Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider series was also clearly inspired by Indiana Jones, and those games have been incredibly successful too.

It makes sense to continue the Indiana Jones series with a female character related to the original lead. Loads of pictures in recent times have been rebranded with women in the lead roles, with Ocean’s 8 from Garry Ross as one of the most recent examples.

Spinoffs Will be on the Cards

There’s no doubt that there will be spinoffs to the Indiana Jones films as well, and these could come as a series. Disney could choose to replicate what it’s done with its Star Wars and MCU universes with Indiana Jones as well. Fans enjoy seeing series that explore smaller characters and add more depth to the overall franchise, something that could be possible with the Indiana Jones series.

According to Popverse, it will be difficult to come up with spinoffs for Indiana Jones, as Ford has been adamant that he doesn’t want another actor playing the character. That means that the prequel series could be off the cards. Spinoffs would, therefore, have to focus on secondary characters from the franchise.

The Indiana Jones franchise is likely to carry on when Ford leaves, but there’s no doubt that the actor will leave a lasting legacy.

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