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It's been quite some time since an Indiana Jones movie hit the big screen, but the drought is almost over. Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny is coming out soon, and fans are excited. After years and years of rumors, the movie is set to be released on June 30th, 2023. It's Harrison Ford's 5th time playing the iconic character, and this is also his last appearance.

Playing the role of Indiana Jones can be quite exhausting. Harrison had to toughen up plenty of times when he played the archeologist. One such example was when he improvised that famous scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Considering Harrison's age,

For a long time, there were heavy rumors that Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt would take over to play Indiana. Those rumors never turned into anything real, and there's a good reason for that - Harrison Ford himself reportedly didn't want Chris to portray Indiana. Were those rumors based on reality, or was it just more Hollywood gossip?

Everything To Know About Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny might seem like a completely new movie, but plans for the film originate back to the 1970s. Raiders of the Lost Ark wasn't finished with pre-production when director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas tried negotiating with Paramount to get 5 Indiana Jones films set in motion.

George, who has come up with the core concept for each individual Indiana Jones film, struggled with the idea for the Dial of Destiny. It didn't help that Lucasfilm was going through turmoil due to the eventual purchase by Disney.

Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, and Ke Huy Quan
Via: Lucasfilm

After Disney bought Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy was handed the keys to Indiana Jones from George Lucas. This included the plot for the Dial of Destiny, something Lucas could never flesh out and complete. Kathleen took a long time to get something going with Indiana 5, in part because of the Star Wars films that were released in the late 2010s. Once those were complete (for better or worse), it opened up the pathways for Dial of Destiny.

Related: Did Billy Dee Williams And Harrison Ford Actually Get Along While Making Star Wars?

Empire got an inside scoop on the film's premise. According to their intel, the movie will take place in 1969 during the heart of the Space Race. Indiana reportedly has a problem with both Americans and Russians using German scientists.

Is Chris Pratt Going To Play Indiana Jones In The Dial Of Destiny?

There are many rumors that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is going to include time travel in some form. Some parts of the Super Bowl ad showed a younger Indiana established from AI software. While that was entirely a mix between Harrison and technology, that doesn't mean that someone like Chris couldn't show up as a younger Indiana.

Chris Pratt Premiere
via: Instar Images

However, it doesn't seem like Chris or any other actor is going to show up as a young Indiana. Perhaps there may be some flashback similar to the one included in The Last Crusade that features a child actor. As far as any A-list actors showing up to play Indiana, that just seems unlikely.

Related: Harrison Ford's Broken Leg Injury On The Set Of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens Resulted In A $2 Million Lawsuit

There have been rumors that Pheobe Waller-Bridge's character will take over as Indiana, taking his iconic hat and whip. However, director James Mangold has told Gizmodo that those rumors are entirely false. It does appear that the Dial of Destiny will close the door on Indiana's adventures, without a passing of the baton. Time will tell whether that is the case, and everyone will see on June 30th what the franchise's future will look like.

Why Didn't Harrison Ford Want Chris Pratt To Play Indiana Jones In The Dial Of Destiny?

There's little doubt that if a younger actor were to portray Indiana Jones, Chris Pratt would be an ideal choice. While Chris Pine and Austin Butler have been considered by fans to be great choices, there's just something about Pratt's charisma and looks that are so similar to the iconic adventurer. The MCU's Star-Lord was certainly based on Han Solo and Indiana Jones. There's a reason his name has been rumored for so long regarding this recasting decision.

Chris Pratt and Harrison Ford
The Things

However, there are a few reasons Chris isn't going to portray Indiana any time soon. For one, it would be hard to do from a plot perspective. Sure, the Indiana Jones films jump around timelines. However, a full recast in that vain would be similar to what Star Wars did with Han Solo for his self-titled spinoff film. While audiences liked Alden Ehrenreich's version of Han, they generally didn't like that there was a prequel that didn't involve Harrison.

Harrison Ford
Via: Instar

Harrison himself has also commented on the idea of a recast, and he wasn't a big fan of the idea. He told the Today show that when he passes away, so does Indy. That pretty much shut the recast idea down when he said that. Chris Pratt went on the Happy Sad Confused podcast afterward and confirmed that Harrison's safeguarding of the character is the reason he won't touch the character with a 10-foot pole.

Related: Harrison Ford May Have Stopped Saving Lives With His Helicopter Because Of Media Attention

Chris shouldn't take it personally. Harrison once starred in a film with Brad Pitt, The Devil's Own, and neither of them liked filming it. Harrison is very picky about what does.

When it comes to Indiana Jones, though, Harrison feels completely differently. Harrison has been famously proud of the action-adventure series. He's usually known as an actor who doesn't care much about the films he stars in. It's not entirely true of course. When he was married to Melissa Mathison, he partly convinced her to co-write E.T.

John Williams recently finished the score for the Dials of Destiny, and the movie seems set for its release on June 30th.