The fourth entry in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, introduced Shia LaBeouf as the son of Indiana Jones. According to director James Mangold, the upcoming fifth film in the series will give us more information on what happened to him.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Mangold — who is directing the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — said that fans will “find out what happened” to LaBeouf’s character, but didn’t expand much more on what exactly that meant.
LaBeouf’s character Mutt was revealed to be Jones’ son by the end of the fourth Indiana Jones film, a move that was extremely divisive and left many fans unhappy. While it’s unlikely that LaBeouf will appear in the fifth film, his character is still a part of Jones’ history and must be addressed in some way before Indy goes off on another adventure.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will once again be led by Harrison Ford as he reprises one of his most iconic roles as the titular explorer. Joining him as the female lead is Emmy and Golden Globe winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The final installment will also feature the introduction of other franchise newcomers Antonio Banderas, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renée Wilson.
The long-awaited film is being directed by Oscar nominee James Mangold (Logan) from a new screenplay he is co-writing with Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, who collaborated on Ford v Ferrari. Mangold took over the director’s chair after Steven Spielberg had exited his directorial duties for the film. Despite his exit, he will still remain part of the film’s production as a producer.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, original franchise director Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel, with John Williams returning to score the film. It is set to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023.
