Six Characters Absent from Indiana Jones 5

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny appears to be a return to form for the franchise, but the absence of several characters from the series may affect the film’s reception. The upcoming adventure film seems to be a compilation of the best elements from previous Indiana Jones films, including Nazis, a digitally de-aged Harrison Ford, and plenty of explosive action scenes. The franchise took a hit with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was criticized for its use of aliens and CGI, but still managed to bring back a few familiar faces.

Indiana Jones 5 is set to be released on June 30th and is expected to use time travel to address some of the franchise’s past missteps. The film will bring back one beloved character, as John Rhys-Davies reprises his role as Sallah for the first time since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. However, aside from Sallah, Indiana is surrounded by a cast of new characters, and the absence of several key characters may impact the film’s success, for better or worse.

Short Round

The omission of Short Round in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is conspicuous, given Ke Huy Quan’s recent comeback and Oscar win. Short Round, Indy’s young sidekick from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, stole the show with his excitable personality, and his absence is a missed opportunity for the film. Despite not returning for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade or the fifth movie, Quan expressed interest in a Short Round spin-off, which could still be developed in the future. With reshoots being common practice now, it wouldn’t take much to shoot Quan in front of a green screen, and he could still appear in the upcoming film.

Mutt Williams

Mutt Williams, Indy’s son from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was being set up to take over the franchise in some capacity. However, his stereotypical greaser character did not receive a positive reception from fans and critics, and his absence from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will not be a significant loss. The film will instead feature Helena Shaw, Indiana’s goddaughter, as a Mutt-type character, with a major role in the story. Waller-Bridge’s character makes more sense than Mutt, as she is less of a carbon copy of the famed archaeologist and has a more optimistic attitude. Indiana Jones 5 should detail what happened to Mutt and fill in the gaps left by his absence.

George “Mac” MicHale

Despite the negative reception of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the film had some redeeming qualities, including the character of George “Mac” MicHale, a supporting character who was a rough-edged sidekick reminiscent of Sallah. Although Mac was apparently pulled into a portal while collecting gold at the end of the film, it is not certain that he is completely gone. Given that the new film likely employs time travel to erase much of the 2008 film from Indy’s timeline, it is possible that the time travel element could be used to bring back Mac.

Willie Scott

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom featured two vastly different supporting characters, Short Round and Willie Scott (played by Kate Capshaw). Although Short Round was more significant than Willie, the latter character has not been mentioned once since the 1984 movie. In an earlier development of a fourth Indiana Jones movie, titled Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods, it was briefly mentioned that Willie had moved to Hollywood and married “some bigshot director,” according to Frank Darabont (via MTV). However, Capshaw will not be reprising her role in Indiana Jones 5.

Marion Ravenwood

Apart from the archeologist himself, Marion Ravenwood (played by Karen Allen) is the most significant character in the Indiana Jones franchise. While Indy had relationships with Willie and Elsa Schneider in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he never forgot about Ravenwood. They already had a history when she was introduced in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and they eventually married in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. However, Marion will not be returning in Indiana Jones 5. Therefore, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will once again have to explain what happened in the interval between the two movies and why they are no longer married.

Dean Charles Stanforth

Dean Charles Stanforth (played by Jim Broadbent) appeared in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as the Dean of Marshall College, who accompanied Indy on his adventure. Essentially, the character was a substitute for Marcus Brody (played by Denholm Elliott), who died in 1992, and they shared the same personality. Broadbent expressed interest in returning for Indiana Jones 5 (via Screen Crush), but it never happened. However, just as Stanforth was replacing Brody, it seems that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has replaced Stanforth with another sarcastic British sidekick, Basil (played by Toby Jones).