Post-"Indy 5" Film Models

The Future of the Franchise

  • Spin-offs

    Votes: 4 66.7%
  • Recast/Reboot

    Votes: 2 33.3%

  • Total voters
    6
  • Poll closed .

TheAdventurer

New member
Tradition Prequel - Have them flash back to a younger Indy (early 1930's) in Indy 5 and introduce an actor who could take the reins as Indy in a prequel movie.

Successor-based Spin-off - Maybe you can introduce a new character in Indy 5 who would have the potential to wear the hat, but I think your best bet is to continue the story of Mutt. Recast Mutt (use Dave Franco or Scott Eastwood or something) and take that character new places and through new adventures. I definitely don't see them using Shia LaBeouf as a Successor though. I wouldn't want that anyway.

Traditional Reboot - I'm pretty skeptical about this option but you could also just recast Indy. I know that replacing Harrison Ford is a scary thought because of how much he is the Indy are one. But, Disney is already remaking a Han Solo. Theres NO way Disney is going to just let a huge franchise like that just end with one movie under their belt. I definitely don't want to see them destroy a great franchise though.
 

Demi-Lune

New member
Traditional or successor-based spin-off would be my favorite. Let Indy be Ford, and pass the mantle to someone else.

Funny thing occurred to a friend and I when we were watching Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: it would've been funny to watch a spin-off about the kid in the library at the end of the motorcycle chase. I mean, here's a guy who has his professor and a hooligan in a motorcycle pop out from underneath his desk after terrorizing half the library... and he's so completely unfazed that his reaction is to just "oh, Doctor Jones? I have a question about the readings..." I would freaking love to watch a movie in which he takes the "get out of the library!" advice to heart. Never happen, of course.
 

curmudgeon

Well-known member
HOW SOON we get another film after Indy 5 is probably going to have an impact on the kind of story they try to tell.

1-2 yrs window is most viable option for a Tradition sequel.
1-4 yr window if they go for a successor spin-off or a prequel that uses Ford in limited capacities.

If either the successor spin-off or traditional prequel don't have Ford, they and the Traditional spin-offs or prequel spin-offs could really be done at any time.

5+ yrs is where I'd peg either of the reboot options as possibilities. Either would mean that Indy 5 is Ford's last, and I absolutely cannot see them starting work on a reboot immediately after it. It would definitely have to wait a few years.

And...
But, as others have said, it's unlikely that Disney would buy the Indy name, and then NOT use the name or character in future movies.

This doesn't reflect the current media landscape, which is giving us things like a Rocky movie that doesn't have him in the main role or the title, and
a series of movies set in the Harry Potter world that doesn't feature Harry Potter.

The fact that a series originated with a title character no longer means that the original title character is necessary for the series to continue.
 

Indyfan82

Member
I have a question on this. First of all- Indiana Jones 5 has been assured by Disney. However, is there any assurance that a sixth film is planned? I know that it's incredibly doubtful that Disney will just let it rest and move on to other things- but I was just curious if there was something to confirm that more movies are in fact coming.

I have another possibility that is not listed here though. My preferred option would be that Harrison Ford makes this 5th. Indiana Jones movie and then it all just stops. I have no interest in seeing further movies made without Ford as Indy.
(If I had to choose a successor though, I might like seeing Sean Patrick Flanery resume his role from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles in the movies- but I doubt that would happen either.)

I hope that whatever Disney does doesn't throw out all the Expanded Universe stuff from the comics and novels and video games and rpgs and such- but we'll see what happens.
 

Z dweller

Well-known member
curmudgeon said:
HOW SOON we get another film after Indy 5 is probably going to have an impact on the kind of story they try to tell.
How soon we get another film depends on how successful Indy 5 is, surely.

I am still hoping that they introduce a younger actor in flashback scenes.
If the response is good, we could get the first prequel 2-3 years later, easy.
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
There has been no reason to expect an Indy 6. That has purely been wishful thinking on the fans' part thus far. What I've gotten from Disney's statements to date is that Indy 5 is intended as Ford's finale, and that it will then be followed up with a reboot of some sort. How the fifth film will connect with or set up the reboot (if at all) remains mysterious.

That said, I don't think Disney would be opposed to a sixth movie with Ford, and I think Ford would be game too, but only with Spielberg. And considering Spielberg allowed an 11-year gap between the fourth and fifth films, I don't get the impression he'd put all his other projects aside for the quick turnaround the project would require. It would have to be pretty much back-to-back to work, I think. Spielberg is 70, and would probably not prioritize a sixth installment of anything over other projects he'd like to do. Maybe he'll surprise us though.

Five movies feels appropriate to me, and ties in nicely with the original five-picture deal Lucas made with Paramount. I'm sure that's been moot for decades, but still, kind of poetic. Six movies would give us an Old Indy trilogy to go with the original trilogy, but screw symmetry.
 

Face_Melt

Well-known member
A 6th film with Ford would be perfect.


How about a 2021 release? 40th anniversary of Raiders. And we would have 2 Ford trilogies. A younger and an older trilogy.
 

Olliana

New member
We easily could have had a second trilogy by now if Indy would have been a priority over the past 8 years.
Now I think Indy 5 will ultimately be the bottom note of the Indy we know.
 

deepermagic

New member
We know that Disney isn't going to let this be the last Indiana Jones movie. I think Spielberg has even confirmed this. We also know that this'll be Ford's last go.

Looking at the future, it seems like Disney can go about this a few different ways.

First, go the James Bond route and have different actors re-skin Indy. Sort of an eternal character and each actor establishes his own version of Dr. Jones in his own era.

Second, they could go with Mutt Williams. It wouldn't have to be LeBeouf (please no LeBeouf).

Third, they could take the Star Wars/Marvel route and begin to tell stories within the Indiana Jones "universe". I think the most attractive (to the studio...not to me) idea within this type of setting would be to simply recast an actor as Indiana Jones and have them go on adventures back in the 30's again. Maybe even WWII. Like they've done with Rogue One/Solo. The Mutt Williams adventures could conceivably be a part of this universe.

I'm not super thrilled with any of these ideas. The most appealing one would be the James Bond route because it would be the easiest to divorce whatever happens from the Ford canon. I'm not a huge fan of the adventures of Mutt Williams because he's such a detestable shoehorned character. And even though it seems the easiest option to recast a young Indy and have him go on more adventures, I think deep down they know it won't ever be as good as Ford's interpretation, and so the risk is pretty high for failure.

But! I have an idea. Conceding the fact that they're going to do something whether we like it or not, I would opt for this: Another option within the "Universe". I think from the outset, you just do away with Indiana Jones altogether. Never have a movie with Indy as the main protagonist again. Instead, have Indiana Jones form a secret society of archaeologist/scholar-adventurers/explorers, perhaps in response to some other evil group (not necessarily a single government) that's emerged.

Now with the formation of this society, you can have a slew of new scholar-adventurers in the mold of Dr. Jones, initially chosen by Jones himself. This option allows you to keep the canon, allows you to maintain the integrity of Ford being the only Jones, but it gives you the freedom to tell stories from the 60's through the present day. This gives you the ability to cast all sorts of characters and tell all kinds of tales within the Jones "universe", and even supplies opportunities to have Ford in a cameo role (at least initially) as the founder.

It's not ideal, but it's the best thing I could think of that wouldn't spoil the past, but still allows a future. Besides, who wouldn't want to join a society founded by Indiana Jones? Aside from actually being Indiana Jones, it's the next best thing!
 

Randy_Flagg

Well-known member
If they're going to keep making Indy movies, I'd prefer they simply cast a younger Indy, maybe in his late 20s. It's the most straight-forward approach, and it keeps the adventures in a time period that works for these sort of things.

I have zero interest in Mutt Williams movies.

As for Indy forming a secret society of adventuring archaeologists, it sounds a bit TOO far-fetched (not that Indiana Jones is supposed to be serious, but still....) If they're going to go with something like that, I'd prefer that they just introduce one protege in Indy 5, not a secret society. Have Indy team up with one of his students in Indy 5, and then make future movies about that student having his/her own adventures. But the problem with that is that it loses the Indiana Jones name, which would make it a bit pointless if Disney wants to make new Indiana Jones movies. I guess they could the new movies "Indiana Jones's Student And The...." but it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.
 

Z dweller

Well-known member
I have zero interest in watching movies based on an Indy "universe", set in modern times.
Lara and Nathan are more than enough for that.

Prequels with a younger actor, set in the late 1920s and early to mid 30s are what I'm hoping for.

Seeing how Disney went right back to the Star Wars roots with TFA, I believe there's a fair chance they'll follow the same route with the Indy franchise.
 

TheFedora

Active member
Z dweller said:
I have zero interest in watching movies based on an Indy "universe", set in modern times.
Lara and Nathan are more than enough for that.

Prequels with a younger actor, set in the late 1920s and early to mid 30s are what I'm hoping for.

Seeing how Disney went right back to the Star Wars roots with TFA, I believe there's a fair chance they'll follow the same route with the Indy franchise.


Yeah I think we could have a good chance of "untold stories" set between Temple and Last Crusade, if they recast with a younger actor. At least to me, that is one way they could go.
 

Walecs

Active member
TheFedora said:
Yeah I think we could have a good chance of "untold stories" set between Temple and Last Crusade, if they recast with a younger actor. At least to me, that is one way they could go.

Why between Temple and Last Crusade, though? There's only a 3 year gap.
 

Lao_Che

Active member
There was a thread around here somewhere with a pitch for an anthology(iirc?) TV series about various characters' origins/early days that was somewhat interesting but an Indiana Jones where an Indiana Jones just does Indiana Jones adventures yet isn't the character Indiana Jones seems pointless. There are enough Indy clones out there already.
 

TheFedora

Active member
Walecs said:
Why between Temple and Last Crusade, though? There's only a 3 year gap.


As Temple is a precursor to Raiders, I thought that might be good. Anyway I want to see a bit more of 'Mercenary' Indy too.
 

Toht's Arm

Active member
I'm okay with prequels set in the 20s with a different actor.

Aside from that, if we're talking spin-offs, I'd watch the heck out of a Short Round series of films set in the 40s/50s! And if that were in Disney's future, you can bet they'd bring him back in Indy V first.
 

IndyForever

Active member
Nothing for at least 10 years after Indy 5. Its not like the franchise is even viable without Spielberg & Ford so let it go Indiana disney.
 

Walecs

Active member
TheFedora said:
As Temple is a precursor to Raiders, I thought that might be good. Anyway I want to see a bit more of 'Mercenary' Indy too.

But why would you set a new movie sometime between 1935 and 1938? Assuming these movies are made every other year, the actor could make only 3-4 movies before he ages too much.
On the other hand, if you set the new movie sometime in the 1920s, movies may be set in the following years according to the actor's age.

Hopefully I made myself clear.
 
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