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?