Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold has once again addressed the controversial ending rumors surrounding the flick ahead of release.
Following his widely revered work on Logan and Ford v Ferarri, Mangold is taking the reins on Indiana Jones 5 for Disney and Lucasfilm, teaming up with franchise mainstay Harrison Ford. Set to release in Summer 2023, the movie just released its first trailer to the world, although the sequel is going through some rough patches with the public during its promotional tour.
A recent unverified rumor described a number of details about the film's plot and characters, noting that Karen Allen's Marion and John Rhys-Davies' Sallah each had brief roles in the movie and that a time travel element was at the center of the sequel. Additionally, the report noted that by the end of Dial of Destiny, Ford's hero would sacrifice himself only for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character to take the Indy mantle for future movies.
Now, Mangold has taken to social media to ensure fans know the truth about these supposed screenings.
Indiana Jones 5 Director Denies Rumors on Film's End
On his Twitter account, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold addressed rumors surrounding test screenings of the movie that have been incredibly negative, particularly with regard to the ending.
In response to these rumors, Mangold made it unmistakably clear that "no one is 'taking over or replacing Indy" in any version of the story:
"One more time. No one is 'taking over' or replacing Indy or donning his hat nor is he being "erased" thru some contrivance— and he never was, not not in any cut or script — but trolls will troll — that's how they get their clicks. 1/"
He noted how exhausting it is to hear how "a troll is 'right'" occasionally, saying that fans only have to look at set photos and interviews to gather enough information to make guesses about a film:
"And please don't exhaust me pointing out how once in a while a troll is 'right'. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now & then. All one has to do is look at set photos & interviews & u get enough info to make wild guesses about a movie plot. 2/"
Closing off this statement, Mangold explained how people like this "push controversial guesses" as if they come from a legitimate source in order to make money off of fans' feelings:
"The diff between trolling a-holes & everyone else is they r trying to make $ off your feelings about other films & culture war politics. They push contoversial guesses as coming from 'sources"'to gin up clicks. Let it go. END"
This isn't the first time that Mangold has addressed rumors regarding test screenings. In November 2022, Mangold passionately refuted reports regarding this specific subject for Indiana Jones 5, explaining that no screenings had taken place and setting the record straight on what's actually happening in the new movie.
Indiana Jones 5 Ending Remains Under Wraps
Although there's no way to guarantee who's telling the truth in this scenario, Mangold isn't holding back when it comes to making sure that his movie has its best chance to succeed in theaters.
While it's not uncommon for studios to hold test screenings for some of the biggest movies in the business, Mangold seems truly genuine when he says that nobody has seen any cut of the movie at this time. Although set photos have shown Harrison Ford and his castmates in action and concept art was shown at the 2022 D23 Fan Expo, the director says in no uncertain terms that there's no way fans or critics know anything that's on the way.
For now, while fans celebrate the movie's first trailer that arrived online, Indiana Jones 5's director appears set to remain active on social media to debunk and dispel any rumors that might derail his movie's chances at glory.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will debut in theaters on June 30, 2023.
