Over the years, Harrison Ford has proved himself to be one of the bluntest, call-it-as-he-sees-it entertainers out there. He’s never been subtle about his apprehension towards Han Solo’s involvement in Star Wars, and he hasn’t been afraid to joke about his role in the upcoming, untitled Indiana Jones 5.
But in this culture of remakes and reboots, where we’re seeing more and more iconic performances being recast (including Ford’s own replacement by young Alden Ehrenreich in Solo: A Star Wars Story), the lone wielder of the whip and fedora said on The TODAY Show that he wants to stay that way – i.e. the only one.
“Nobody is going to be Indiana Jones,” Ford declared. “Don’t you get it? I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone. It’s easy!”
Though the actor was being playful, he was also being clear: the role of Indiana Jones will always be his, and no youngsters in the industry should be sizing themselves up for a leather jacket anytime soon.
“This is a hell of a way to tell Chris Pine this. I’m sorry man!” said Ford.
That’s pretty funny. While he may’ve been taking a stab at Pine because the Star Trek actor played one of Ford’s classic roles in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, it’s also possible – and more than likely the case – that he meant to refer to Chris Pratt, who’s been in plenty of unofficial discussions regarding taking on the Indy persona.
Unfortunately, Indiana Jones 5 still has a long time to go before it hits theaters – at the moment, it’s on slate for a summer 2021 release – so who knows what the future will hold for everyone’s favorite archeologist? Personally though, I’m with Ford. I don’t ever want to see anyone else hold that whip, unless they’re handing it back to the only man it belongs to.