A new rumor concerning upcoming sequel Indiana Jones 5 is sure to cause some...reactions. According to insiders, the fifth movie in the beloved franchise will serve as a conclusion to the adventures of Harrison Ford's intrepid archaeologist and will set up a character to take his place, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge reportedly being eyed to become to the new face of the Indiana Jones series going forward.

"Insiders claim Kathleen Kennedy, the Hollywood producer behind the franchise, is keen to make 'big, bold' changes - with few bigger than switching the lead character to a woman."

One source has also added that, "It would be a huge statement, and a great role for Phoebe." Now, obviously this is just a rumor at this stage, so try not to freak out just yet. No doubt this idea will be met with a mixture of cheers, approving nods, eye-rolls and absolute fury depending on how you feel about the Indiana Jones franchise, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Kathleen Kennedy.

With Harrison Ford now 79 years of age, someone taking over as the lead of the franchise was bound to happen sooner rather than later, with the studio having toyed with the idea in the past. Previous sequel Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull of course introduced Shia LaBeouf as Indiana's son, Mutt Williams, with the idea being that this character would take over for future installments, though George Lucas later back-tracked on this.

While the likes of George Lucas and others have stated in the past that there is no Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford (or something to that effect), it would be naïve to think that the studio will just let such a successful franchise disappear. Thus, a character is going to take over eventually, and without a straight-up recast, which surely nobody wants to see, it will require a new character to step up. Thus, Indiana Jones 5 will likely set up Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge for this role, with the studio keeping a close eye on how audiences react to her character.

For now, we still have Harrison Ford's latest outing as the legendary adventurer to come. While plot details remain a closely guarded secret, ongoing rumors and images from filming have surfaced suggesting that the franchise will be sent into outer space. While Indy himself may not blast into the cosmos, reports have now claimed that Indiana Jones 5 will reunite the adventurer with his old enemies the Nazis through their involvement in the 60s Space Race.

Alongside Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, director James Mangold has recruited several big names for the supporting cast, including Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Toby Jones, and Antonio Banderas.

Mangold has already pre-empted early criticism towards his efforts, with the filmmaker taking to social media to ask fans to wait and see what he has in store. "I understand wariness, I live it," he said. "I don't know if I'll make you happy. But my team & I will knock ourselves out trying to make something good. We admire the craft of the originals. I hope when you see real images, they'll look better to you than paparazzi shots from bushes."

Indiana Jones 5 is scheduled for release on July 29, 2022. This comes to us from Daily Mail.