Bob Iger Speaks on Future of ‘Indiana Jones’ Franchise

We’ve heard a lot about Disney cutting down on its content recently due to cost-cutting measures on the part of the Walt Disney Company. In order to make their streaming service more profitable, Disney CEO Bob Iger detailed many actions, including “rationalizing” the content they make and produce in-house. But one franchise that many have been on the edge of their seats about is the Indiana Jones franchise. It was confirmed that Harrison Ford would no longer be returning for any movies with the series, and many have wondered whether that was the end of it altogether.

Comicbook reported that the Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger offered a “more ambiguous response to the franchise’s future.”

Indiana Jones franchise

The Indiana Jones franchise is a highly popular series of adventure films created by filmmaker George Lucas and directed by Steven Spielberg. The franchise centers around the titular character Indiana Jones, an archaeologist and adventurer portrayed by Harrison Ford. The first film in the series, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” was released in 1981, and the fifth and final film featuring Harrison Ford is set to release in theaters on June 30.

“The last movie was here 15 years ago,” Iger shared with IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival, with 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull having also premiered at the event. “So we’ll see.”

This was Comicbook‘s analysis of the statement:

It’s possible that Iger was implying that, with it taking 15 years to get a new entry into the series, it’s too early to weigh in on what the future of the franchise could be at this point, or it’s possible that Iger is implying that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was expected to be the “last” movie 15 years ago and things clearly changed. While we absolutely shouldn’t expect Ford to return to the role in 15 years, or ever, Iger’s overall message solidifies how, unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars, the Indiana Jones franchise won’t be churning out content quite as often as other properties.

The Indiana Jones franchise has been successful enough to offer multiple attractions to the Disney Theme Parks. One in Disneyland Resort’s Disneyland Park: Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye, which opened in 1995. The other is Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull in Tokyo DisneySea. There is also an Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Guests can enjoy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World Resort.