If the rumors (or are they predictions?) are true that Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones dies at the end of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time George Lucas completed a franchise by killing off a returning character. But would it actually mean the end of the series?
While there has been additional speculation that Shia LaBeouf could continue the franchise as Indy Jr., there is now the possibility that Ford would actually return for a fifth film, if asked. In an interview in USA Today, the actor says he’d consider it, as long as it doesn’t take another 20 years. So, no death for Indy, then?
Well, over at Aint It Cool News, they’re calling Ford’s comment a ruse. It’s simply spin, they suggest, dropped into major media outlet as a way of dispelling the rumors of and expectation for the death scene. However, I believe Ford may be telling the truth, and could be doing so even if his character does finally succumb to Nazi (or now Commie) gunfire, poisonous darts, mystical powers of the Ark, the wrong goblet, the smooth removal of his still-beating heart, snakes, boulders or old age.
Never underestimate the power of Hollywood sequelitis to introduce a clone or utilize some other sort of resurrection strategy. In fact, with the Indy movies, the Christian allegory would be quite appropriate. Or maybe he only seems to die, but really he hopped aboard a UFO (a la Close Encounters) while his doppelganger stayed on Earth (a la The Last Starfighter) and that was who died (some AICN commenters have roughly the same idea).
One important reminder, though: when he drank from the Holy Grail in Last Crusade, didn’t Indy ensure that he’ll be alive for long, long time?
8 Comments
Only if he stayed in that little room with the knight…
Really? Oh yeah, I guess that’s why the knight stayed inside all those centuries.
OK, time to get my Indy Jones-geek on.
Indy can’t die in the new film because we saw him alive in the bookend segments of the YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES series as a 90-something year old guy.
Of course, Lucas could very well ignore his own established continuity. he did it in Star Wars, so why not here?
Still, you could kill Indy in this one and have a fifth film. Just make it a prequel to number 4. Remember Temple of Doom takes place BEFORE Raiders.
no… sniff sniff…
noooo that’s imposible!!! Wait, sorry wrong Lucas/Ford movie
It would sure be interesting if he got killed. But who knows, maybe the next movie would be “The return of the mommy”.
As a business though, I don’t think they would decide to just end it all.
Yes Indy did drink from the cup of christ. But when that Nazi bitch crossed the seal on the ground it reversed the effects of everlasting life. Remeber theknight said do not cross the seal!!
The grail would just stop working if it crossed the seal.. but it didn’t say the effects of the grail would stop working.. If you remember, the 2 knights who left the temple and went back to Europe still lived hundreds of years… not as long as drinking from it every day, but it should still give Indy a very long life…