For decades, Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones has thrilled audiences all over the world. Armed only with a whip, a revolver, and an incredible intellect, Steven Spielberg’s iconic archaeologist has saved the world time and time again from Nazis, religious fanatics, more Nazis, and even the Soviets. As fans of the legendary franchise, the recent news of a fifth Indiana Jones movie has pretty much rocked our world; the character will once again return to thrill an all-new generation of fans.
If there’s one thing that ties all of the Indiana Jones movies together, it’s the unending search for answers. As a globetrotting archaeologist, Indy’s sole purpose is to hunt for mysterious items containing untold power. With a fifth Indiana Jones movie set to hit theaters in 2019, and Harrison Ford set to return as the titular badass, it has us wondering what mythological artifacts the aging professor may hunt – and subsequently fail – to get to a museum this time around. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of five of the most likely artifacts that Indy might chase around the world when Indy 5 finally premieres…
The Tower of Babel
Indiana Jones previously investigated the fabled Tower of Babel during the events of the wholly underrated N64 video game Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine. Biblical lore suggests that the tower existed during the days of Babylon, but that God mysteriously destroyed the edifice and cursed its erectors. The video game takes this legend one step further; Indy suggests that the Tower may have housed a legendary machine, which the Soviets want to use in order to summon a malevolent deity known as Marduk to Earth. This particular storyline maintains the traditionally biblical nature of the Indy franchise, but cranks the stakes up to eleven by having Indy quite literally prevent an apocalyptic event.
The Knife of Cain
The Knife of Cain is an artifact that appeared in the 1990 novel Young Indiana Jones and the Secret City. Taking inspiration from the legendary story of Cain and Abel from the Old Testament, it’s believed that the knife was used to commit the first recorded act of murder in the history of existence. The Indy story suggests that the knife’s power would reveal itself every time the stars, planets, and moons aligned in the same position as they were when Cain murdered his brother Abel, and that the power endowed by the knife would afford the one in control of it the power to conquer the world. That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid, so an older, more seasoned Indy may have a better chance of winning this time around.
The Golden Fleece
A fleece made from the hair a mystical ram, the Golden Fleece features prominently in Greek mythology and represents the central object sought after by the protagonists in Jason and the Argonauts. Indiana Jones actually previously searched for the Fleece during the aptly titled two-part comic book series, Indiana Jones and the Golden Fleece. In that comic book, the Nazis want the Fleece because it allegedly makes any army wielding it impossible to conquer. Using the Golden Fleece in an Indiana Jones film would win no points for originality, as its power shares many similarities with the Ark of the Convenant, but it would allow the film to maintain the sort of dire stakes and gritty Nazi action that the best Indy films have become known for.
The Labyrinth of the Minotaur
Another entry from Greek mythology, the next installment in the landmark franchise could see our hero lost in a maze, searching for the fabled Minotaur. Having Indy scower the Labyrinth of the Minotaur on the island of Crete could offer the Indiana Jones franchise a refreshing change of pace. Rather than a globetrotting adventure, the entire movie could be restricted to a cat-and-mouse game between our favorite archaeologist and a monster possessing the head of a bull and the body of a man. Using only his wits, the equipment he brings with him, and the thread of Ariadne, Indy would have to navigate the Labyrinth, defeat the Minotaur, and get out alive – it’s Die Hard meets Indiana Jones.
The Lost City of Atlantis
One of the most well-known and beloved ideas in all of mythology, the lost city of Atlantis is a world that exists at the bottom of the ocean and has informed numerous works across all of pop culture. Indiana Jones actually visited the lost city during the events of the computer game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, but audiences would undoubtedly want to see it explored on the silver screen. True to the Indiana Jones formula, the plot revolves around the Nazis seeking the lost city as a means of bolstering their naval warfare capabilities and making the thousand year Reich a reality. We’ve seen Indy trek through deserts, jungles, and ruined cities, but we’ve never seen him wholly envelope himself in another world, so this could represent the next major step for the franchise.
