Indiana Jones 6: Is It Happening, Franchise Future & Everything We Know (2024)

After Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, discussions about the possibility of an Indiana Jones 6 are in motion, though little is known about its official status. Harrison Ford returned to his iconic role as Dr. Indiana Jones after almost two decades, yet Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was the protagonist’s grand swan song. Still, despite The Dial Of Destiny being Harrison Ford's final Indiana Jones movie, plenty of franchises have survived a lead change, so the adventures don't have to end just yet.

The initial decision to end the Indiana Jones timeline on its fifth installment has already been questioned. With the number of fans across the world who will undoubtedly want to see Indiana Jones return in the future, another sequel remains a very real possibility. This is especially true given that plenty of new elements and characters from the fifth movie open the door for countless new adventures. Even with Ford exiting the franchise after Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Indiana Jones 6 might still happen.

Related: Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Ending Explained

Most Recent Indiana Jones 6 News

James Mangold Discusses Indiana Jones 6

The latest Indiana Jones 6 news is the topic on everyone’s mind: is Indiana Jones really done with his life as an adventurer? According to Dial Of Destiny director James Mangold, the answer is no. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny might see Professor Jones retire from a lifetime of teaching, but that doesn’t mean that the titular hero is done going on adventures. Mangold told Entertainment Weekly:

"I don't think he'll ever stop digging. And when he takes the hat off the clothesline, I think it's because, first of all, you shouldn't put hats on clotheslines. And second of all, no, I don't think he's done. I think that an ending doesn't mean that the characters never move again in their lives. It just means that you feel that you've entered a state of grace with their story. I think he'll wake up tomorrow and want to do something. But whether he's going into battling Nazis through time portals again, I don't think so. But I could really imagine him and Marion going on a road trip to some Inca dig or to some dig in Montana or North Dakota and renting a cabin. And I could see him really enjoying his life as a retired archeologist. He retires as a teacher [in Dial of Destiny], but I don't think he will retire from being an obsessive learner, thinker about the past and the future, and science and mankind. I think that the second he stops thinking about that, I think it's game over."

That’s a very apt description of Indiana Jones, as the character has always really been a teacher first and an adventurer second. He loves to learn about the past, and he just so happens to get dragged into conflicts regarding the past and historical artifacts regularly. Now that he’s no longer a teacher, the character would certainly have more time to devote to hands-on learning on dig sites instead of rehashing old findings in front of a room of students.

Indiana Jones 6 Is Not Yet Confirmed

Another Sequel Isn't On The Horizon

Indiana Jones 6 hasn’t been announced or confirmed, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Disney is likely waiting to gauge whether another sequel would be a good idea. Even then, it could be a long time before another Indiana Jones adventure hits the big screen. Much like the fifth entry, Indiana Jones 6 could use de-aging technology to seamlessly explore more of the character’s past. However, this would be an expensive endeavor and would delay the process further.

Why Harrison Ford Won’t Be In Indiana Jones 6

Ford Ended Indiana Jones "With A Bang"

Harrison Ford has never been shy about not wanting to play either Han Solo or Indiana Jones forever, but wanting both characters to have impactful endings on film. While he advocated for the death of Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, that wasn’t the case for Indiana Jones. Instead, he’s always wanted to be able to take the character to the end of the franchise “with a bang.” That’s something he believes he’s done with Dial of Destiny. Ford explained to Total Film:

"This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character. I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film. I had been ambitious to do this film for 10 years, and there finally came a time when we all committed to that. It was a joyous moment for me. I think it’s a rare situation that I find myself in. I’ve been able to deliver amazing films developed by Steven [Spielberg] and George [Lucas] over a 40-year period, and to end it not with a whimper, but a bang, has been my greatest ambition for this excursion."

If Disney decides to pursue more films or television shows in the Indiana Jones franchise, it won’t be with Harrison Ford in the title role. Ford’s comments make it clear that he’s brought the character to the ending he likes for Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones 6 would have to move forward without him.

Indiana Jones 6 Cast

Who Could Star In The Sequel?

Indiana Jones 6 would have to work without Harrison Ford’s return as the title character, and if it were to follow the fifth film directly, most of the cast would need to return. The most likely candidate would be Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who plays Indiana Jones’s goddaughter Helena Shaw. The sixth installment could even bring back some iconic Indiana Jones villains, such as Mads Mikkelsen’s Voller or Cate Blanchett’s Irina Spalko — death hasn’t always been permanent in this franchise.

While death doesn’t have to be permanent in the Indiana Jones franchise when dealing with magical artifacts, that doesn’t mean all dead characters would come back to join the Indiana Jones 6 cast. Some characters need to stay dead. It’s unlikely, for example, that Mutt, the son of Indiana and Karen played by Shia LaBeouf, would return. His character was one of the most hated aspects of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and his death in Vietnam added a new wrinkle to Indiana Jones as a character.

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Indiana Jones 6 Story Details

What Could The Sequel Be About?

Just like every other Indiana Jones movie, the hypothetical Indiana Jones 6 story would likely need to be a self-contained adventure that sees a hunt for some kind of magical relic to keep it from the hands of a dangerous enemy. With Ford not interested in playing the character again for Indiana Jones 6, his adventures would have to be taken up by a new character, one who could carry on his legacy.

That could even have been the intention for the Helena Shaw character, as she represents an entirely new generation of adventurers while still maintaining that connection to Indiana Jones and his legacy. Indiana Jones 6 could easily give her character more of the spotlight, allowing her to fight the enemies that her godfather had previously battled. She displays just enough talent and determination in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to make this a logical progression, perhaps even setting up for her own movies or spinoffs in the future.

Alternatively, there have been countless other supporting characters throughout the franchise who could likely helm the sequel. With the introduction of de-aging technology, there are no restrictions regarding when exactly the sequel could take place. Indiana Jones 6 could be set further in the past, while Ford returns to make some brief de-aged appearances. Ultimately, it’s unclear what shape a sixth entry in the franchise would take, but there are countless possibilities for how Disney could seamlessly continue this story into the future with Indiana Jones 6.