Harrison Ford is currently filming Indiana Jones 5, a not-yet-titled movie that is said to mark the adventurer’s last time on screen. The actor is retiring from the role at the age of 79 after being well-known as the character for over 40 years. It’ll be bittersweet to see Ford return one last time, but given the popularity of the property, it’s not implausible that the upcoming movie will set up a new chapter for the Indiana Jones franchise. Per some fresh rumors, Lucasfilm’s new Indy could be hidden in plain sight.
Alleged “insiders” say that Indiana Jones 5 will see Harrison Ford passing down the fedora to Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is already set to play an undisclosed role in the movie. The word on the street is that Kathleen Kennedy, the film’s producer and president of Lucasfilm, is enthusiastic about making a “big, bold” change to the franchise with Waller-Bridge as the up-and-coming female lead of the franchise. Though to be clear, the Fleabag creator and star being Ford’s replacement in the franchise has not been confirmed and is purely a rumor.
When Daily Mail shared the report, it added that Kathleen Kennedy’s spokesperson “declined to comment” about the detail. Suffice to say that Phoebe Waller-Bridge taking on the Indiana Jones mantle would be a massive spoiler for Indiana Jones 5, and therefore wouldn’t be teased by the studio either way. The movie is currently being filmed, and from what we know about the actress’ involvement so far, she’s said to be an assistant to Harrison Ford’s iconic character and has been spotted wearing a maroon corduroy jacket and blue trousers on set.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the first Indiana Jones 5 costar to be announced back in April, so we already expect her to have a large role in the movie coming next summer. Steven Spielberg was originally going to helm the movie, but he decided to be purely a producer and pass off the director duties to James Mangold, who famously capped off Hugh Jackman’s time as Wolverine with Logan. Also among the cast is Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas and Boyd Holbrook.
What’s especially notable about the rumor of Phoebe Waller-Bridge taking the lead following Indiana Jone 5 is that she wouldn’t be playing Indiana Jones. She’d be more of an apprentice to his legacy and perhaps start her own franchise apart from the classic adventure series, but with roots in the property. We’ve yet to meet Waller-Bridge in Indiana Jones 5, but I know I’d prefer a new take on the franchise than some other actor replacing Ford as Indiana Jones.
Indiana Jones 5 is expected to be released on July 29, 2022. Until then, get to know Phoebe Waller-Bridge with her most notable projects.
