The response to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was more mixed than we could have ever anticipated, and it ended up being one of 2023's biggest box office flops with a mere $384 million worldwide.
Whether Kingdom of the Crystal Skull soured people on the idea of an older Indy or interest in the franchise has simply waned is hard to say, but Harrison Ford's time as the iconic adventurer is officially over. As a result, the door is closed on Jones being reunited with his old sidekick, Short Round.
Unused concept art from the latest Indiana Jones movie has surfaced today, showcasing the return of Ke Huy Quan's beloved character as he and Indy fight zombies. Indiana Jones 5 went through multiple iterations so it's unclear how soon this idea was scrapped.
Quan won an Oscar for his work in Everything Everywhere All At Once and has since received widespread acclaim for his work in Loki. Having him appear in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would have been a great way to increase fan interest in the fifth instalment, but Indy instead found a sidekick in his goddaughter, Helena Shaw.
The actor has never closed the door on potentially reprising his Temple of Doom role so he'd have been open to this, we're sure. Earlier this year, Quan said, "I'm there, man! I love that character so much, and it would just be incredible to revisit so many years later."
Are you disappointed this team-up was never shot?
Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this highly anticipated final installment of the iconic franchise - a big, globe-trotting, rip-roaring cinematic adventure. Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther), Thomas Kretschmann (Das Boot), Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Olivier Richters (Black Widow), Mads Mikkelsen (Doctor Strange) and newcomer Ethann Isidore.
Directed by James Mangold (Logan, Walk the Line) and written by Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp and James Mangold, based on characters created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, has once again composed the score.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now available to buy and stream wherever you get movies.