In case anyone thought Indy might pull a Han Solo in the next Indiana Jones film, director Steven Spielberg is promising that won’t be the case.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter today, Spielberg decided to give a hint about Indy 5, which Disney announced in March:
Spielberg says he’s “super excited” about that movie, 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.”
It would’ve been fair to guess that Ford’s Indy could get killed at the end of Indiana Jones 5. After all, Ford is now 73, and you’d assume he doesn’t want to do too many more of these (just as we’re sure the “one and done” idea at least partially motivated his decision to return for The Force Awakens). Keeping his iconic character alive could certainly give him the option to return to the series later if he wants — which is a door that is permanently closed over in Star Wars land.
Spielberg and Ford may primarily be interested in doing a fifth Indiana Jones movie because the last one, 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, wasn’t well-received. Their next could be a chance to say farewell to the series on a high note.
The new movie hits theaters in July 2019.