Disney Could End ‘Indiana Jones’ by Stealing a Move from Marvel

Lucasfilm’s owners have decided that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be the fifth and final movie of George Lucas’ beloved action-hero franchise, and director James Mangold has a wonderful opportunity to bring the world’s favorite archaeologist full circle.

According to the latest trailer, the Dial of Destiny “has the power to change the course of history,” which the chief antagonist looks to use to correct all of Hitler’s past mistakes to ensure the survival of Nazi Germany. Obviously, the movie will end with Indy winning the day, but what if he uses this mystical device to correct his–and arguably Lucasfilm’s–past mistakes?

I recently rewatched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in order to get a previously uncultured friend caught up before the next release. Yes, it is by far the worst movie in the franchise, but one line from Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood stood out to me. During a moment of squabbling between her and Indy (Harrison Ford), fans learn a little about the events between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade (remember, Temple of Doom was actually a prequel). Marion and Indy were set to get married when, for some reason, our hero broke it off a week before the wedding. What if he never ran away?

Imagine Lucasfilm allowing Indy to pull almost the same move as Captain America at the end of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame. He saves the day and uses the dial to go back to that point in his life where he convinces his younger self to stay with the only true love of his life, saying something about how all of the adventures he was going to have would never be better than the adventure he would have with her.

Karen Allen does not appear to be on the cast list, according to IMDB, but her absence is just as powerful. The trailer suggests Indy is alone once again. Having killed off Marcus Brody and Henry Jones Sr. by the start of the fourth film, it makes sense for Marion to have passed away before the start of this movie as well. That mourning amid general reflection on life at Indy’s point of retirement could be a powerful trigger.

Now, such a move would arguably retcon The Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as they would have probably never happened if Indy had not left Marion at the altar. That means no Holy Grail and no Sean Connery. But that also means no aliens and no Transformers-era Shia LaBeouf. Fans could also argue that Indy played too important of a role in fighting the Nazis and Soviets in the 30s, 40s, and 50s to afford to make such a “selfish” move. But, honestly, so what? Indiana Jones’ heart has always belonged to Marion Ravenwood, and a heart-tugging disruption of the timeline to put his younger self back on the right adventure would be–in my opinion–far better than seeing the curtain fall on an old lonely man walking off into the sunset.

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But regardless of how the powers that be look to end this series, this lifelong fan will be at the theaters on the opening night, ready to finish the adventure.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s and may not reflect the sentiment of Disney Fanatic as a whole.