The Drifter said:
I can understand that, because that's one of my fears also.
But, how do we know that this will be the outcome?
I surmise the probable outcome from the way Lucas has re-edited his films and characters.
The first three Indy movies form a more complete whole, which then expanded in a new direction with the
Young Indiana Jones series, in which we see a much softer version of the rogue of TOD's 1935. His next Indy film, KOTCS, then has Indy forced to atone for his bad habits by his son.
George is passionate about education, and the morality that education imparts. He is apparently far more conscious now about the influence he wields. Anakin's 1983 'death-bed' remorse wasn't enough. The
Star Wars prequels showed the transformation of the 'sweet child' into a monster, albeit a not very convincing attempt to justify a character's atrocities. Han Solo's redemption by returning to the battle in 1977 wasn't enough. George couldn't accept that Han was a muderer, hence Greedo had to pull the trigger first.
I don't think George would dare to repeat Indy's shooting of the Cairo Swordsman, but this scene is now so iconic there would be outrage if it were removed. In consequence Indy has to be redeemed by further acts - and those in KOTCS (including marriage and family) are the first stages.
The Drifter said:
George and Steve "apologized" for ToD by giving us Crusade, so why wouldn't they also do the same for the next installment? Surely, they know that Skull was met with luke-warm responces. So, maybe there is a glimmer of hope to be had somewhere in the storm?
The difference is that TOD was far more in keeping with the brutality of
Raiders, but it was a film derived from a difficult period in their lives. It wasn't the film they had intended to make when they began, and it went beyond the bounds of perceived 'good taste' with regards to its intended family audience. TOD was the horrific live-action Tom and Jerry cartoon of its day. (And some of the scenes from those '40s and '50s cartoons were fairly disturbing, with issues of murder, suicide, torture, dismemberment).
Yet, KOTCS was a film they both seemed comfortable with. This was the direction they had chosen to take Indy. The path of redemption, which began in 1992, is highly unlikely to be broken.