Logan director James Mangold has achieved something “unbelievable” with Indiana Jones 5, according to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. Speaking with Comicbook.com at the Star Wars Celebration event, Kennedy teased the quality of the highly anticipated action-adventure sequel, assuring fans that they will “love” what the filmmaker and returning star Harrison Ford have created.
"James Mangold has done an unbelievable job with Indy. And he and Harrison [Ford] have an incredible relationship and I think the fans are just going to love what he's created. It's fantastic."
Directed by James Mangold, who will work from a script he has co-written alongside Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, Indiana Jones 5 will act as a sequel to 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and is the fifth installment in the hugely popular, and very much cherished franchise. Harrison Ford will of course return as Indiana Jones, the ruthlessly charming American archeologist and adventurer, with the movie expected to be his final outing as the character for the 79-year-old actor.
Considering that Indiana Jones 5 is expected to be Ford’s swansong, it will therefore also be the final outing for the title character. Kennedy recently stated unequivocally that the title character will never be recast saying, “We would never make Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford. Having just finished the fifth movie, I can tell you, there wasn't a day I wasn't on set where I wasn't like, 'Yes -- this is Indiana Jones.'"
With this in mind, fans can only hope that the Lucasfilm boss is right and that director James Mangold has given the beloved character the finale he deserves.
Harrison Ford Returns as the Iconic Adventurer in the First Look at Indiana Jones 5
Not only have we been treated to Kathleen Kennedy’s assurance that Indiana Jones 5 will be well worth the wait, but we have also now seen the first official image from Harrison Ford’s return as the iconic adventurer. The image, which landed yesterday, shows Ford back in the hat as he once again explores an atmospheric cave —a cave that is likely to be the home of various wonders.
Plot details for Indiana Jones 5 remain a closely guarded secret, with fans relying on rumors to establish what the movie might be about. The speculation so far has suggested that the franchise will be sent into outer space, sort of. While the intrepid archeologist himself is not likely to blast into the cosmos (though who knows what might happen after that whole fridge incident), reports have claimed that Indiana Jones 5 will reunite the adventurer with his old enemies the Nazis through their involvement in the 60s Space Race. Previously revealed mages from filming have seemingly confirmed the return of Indy's Nazi nemesis, as well as revealing a sequence involving a Nazi train and potentially a de-aged Harrison Ford.
The likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Toby Jones, and Antonio Banderas will join Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones 5, which is scheduled for release on June 30, 2023, following a series of delays caused by production setbacks and the pandemic.