Indiana Jones 5 may mark Harrison Ford’s last time playing the whip-wielding, fedora-wearing archaeologist, but that doesn’t mean that the franchise will end with him. Earlier this week, it was reported that Disney is in developing an Indiana Jones TV series that would stream exclusively to Disney+ subscribers. Although this project is in the early stages, a rumor has surfaced about who this show could be about, and it makes a lot of sense.
Over on The Hot Mic, film news reporter Jeff Sneider told co-host John Rocha that he’s heard Disney+’s Indiana Jones show is “a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark that will follow Marion’s father,” Abner Ravenwood. Before sharing that information, Sneider mentioned that he believes this is one of those projects where it’s already been decided what it will be about and a writer is required “whose vision can fit that,” as opposed to writers coming in to pitch their own ideas. So even though this Indiana Jones show is only just starting to come together, if Sneider’s information is accurate, then Disney is already keen on moving forward with Abner as the main protagonist.
Although Abner Ravenwood was never seen in the Indiana Jones movies, he’s an integral person in Henry Jones Jr’s life. In Raiders of the Lost Ark (a movie filled with a lot of behind-the-scenes stories), viewers learned that Abner was Indy’s mentor at the University of Chicago, and they became quite close. However, that relationship collapsed in 1926 after Abner learned that Indy had an affair with Marion, who was just a teenager at the time. Abner was dead by the time the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark unfolded in 1936, but his research into the Holy Grail greatly aided Indy and Marion in tacking down the mystical artifact.
Selecting Abner Ravenwood as a subject makes a lot of sense if the Indiana Jones series is indeed going the prequel route rather than delivering something later in the timeline or fully rebooting this continuity. Granted, we saw in the TV show The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles that Indy has known adventure for almost his entire life, but Abner was integral to his archaeological career. If Indy picked up pointers from Abner, then it stands to reason that Abner led a pretty exciting life too, so we’d get plenty of entertainment from following along with him. Plus, this show could also easily cast someone to play young versions of Indiana Jones and Marion, although as far as the former is concerned, it’s hard to say if he’d be involved as a recurring/main player, or if we’d only see him in a guest starring capacity.
It’ll likely be a while until we get any official details on what to expect from Disney+’s Indiana Jones series, whether it’s following Abner Ravenwood or embarking down a different creative path. Rest assured, we’ll pass along that information once it’s available, but until then, make sure that June 30, 2023 is marked down on your theatrical calendar, as that’s when Indiana Jones 5 will be delivered amidst the other 2023 movie releases.
