Don’t Worry, Steven Spielberg Isn’t Killing Harrison Ford in ‘Indiana Jones 5’
Steven Spielberg has only gotten busier in recent years; the prolific director has been adding a fair amount of projects to his growing to-do list, including Indiana Jones 5, set to hit theaters in 2019. Harrison Ford will return to reprise his iconic role as the archaeological adventurer despite repeatedly denied rumors that Disney is looking to pass the torch to a new star. If you had any remaining doubts, Spielberg himself assures fans that Ford isn’t going anywhere — at least not in his Indy universe.
THR published a great, lengthy new profile of Spielberg, in which the director spoke briefly about Indiana Jones 5. Like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ford will return to the character he made famous in a beloved franchise, but unlike that sequel, we shouldn’t expect Ford to make a drastic third-act exit:
Spielberg says he’s “super excited” about [Indiana Jones 5], dated for July 2019: “I think this one is straight down the pike for the fans.” He won’t reveal plot details, except this: “The one thing I will tell you is I’m not killing off Harrison [Ford] at the end of it.”
There had been rumors — heavily denied by Disney — that the studio was thinking of rebooting the franchise, perhaps bringing Ford back to pass the torch, Legacysquel-style, to a young new adventurer, possibly played by Chris Pratt. At the very least, you can rest assured that the classic Indy you know and love won’t be killed off, even when his franchise officially ends. (And you have to assume Indy 5 is the last of it, as Ford is getting a bit too old to keep chasing artifacts and bad guys around the world.)
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull scribe David Koepp will also return to script the new sequel, which hits theaters on July 19, 2019.