Disney confirmed the end of Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones franchise with its upcoming film, The Dial of Destiny.
The name Indiana Jones instantly became a classic after Raiders of the Lost Ark debuted over four decades ago. From there, three more adventures materialized over the next couple of decades, with the fourth, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, being a notable flop.
It seems Lucasfilm wants to bring the franchise back into the spotlight with an installment that makes up for the widely panned movie. It is no doubt banking on The Dial of Destiny to be a hit. After all, it gave the project a budget of nearly $300 million.
While it will be exciting for many to see Ford hold the whip once more, it doesn't seem like it'll happen again.
Lucasfilm to Put a Halt to Indiana Jones
Disney announced the Indiana Jones franchise would be coming to an end with the upcoming fifth installment, The Dial of Destiny.
In the movie's recent press release, the studio confirmed that the upcoming film would be the series' last release, stating that Indy 5 is "the highly anticipated final installment of the beloved franchise."
The film's director, James Mangold, noted that he is "very excited" to share this "final Indiana Jones adventure" with audiences:
“In 1995, I was honored to come to Cannes with my first film as part of Director’s Fortnite. Twenty-eight years later, I am proud to return with a slightly larger spectacle. My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you!"
Back at D23 last year, Ford himself teased that The Dial of Destiny "is fantastic," with one of those reasons being thanks to Phoebe Waller-Bridge:
“I’m very proud to say that this one is fantastic, and [Phoebe Waller-Bridge] is one of the reasons."
He shared how they "have a really human story to tell:"
“Indiana Jones movies are about mystery and adventure, but they’re also about heart, and I’m really, really happy that we have a really human story to tell, as well as a movie that will kick your ass... This is it! I will not fall down for you again.”
Why Is Indiana Jones Ending?
While it may upset some fans to hear that this will almost certainly be the last time Harrison Ford plays the iconic character, at least he's going on a better note than he did with The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Many fans were worried Phoebe Waller-Bridge was going to take on Ford's mantle by the end of the movie. However, it didn't take long for the film's director, James Mangold, to debunk those ideas, making it clear that "no one will ever replace Indiana Jones."
With the recent trailer landing well with general audiences, there is a ton of hype being generated for the project. As a result, it's slowly building some intense expectations which it'll hopefully live up to.
Another reason it makes sense that The Dial of Destiny would be the last Indiana Jones film is that a recent report claimed Disney mandated Lucasfilm to focus solely on the Star Wars franchise. The revelation of the series coming to an end aligns perfectly with those rumors.
Despite the series coming to a close, everyone knows franchises never die for good. Sooner or later, Lucasfilm will revive Indiana Jones for a new generation.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theaters on June 30.
