Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Director Addresses Finale’s Fateful Decision

This year’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was the sendoff to Harrison Ford’s iconic explorer, with much of the film focusing on how he felt like a man out of time in a world that had moved past him. The film’s finale saw Jones traveling back in time by centuries to witness firsthand the figures and events he devoted his life to, and while he initially decided to stay behind while his allies returned to the present, he ultimately returned to the film’s contemporary timeline, a decision which director James Mangold recently explained. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now streaming on Disney+.

“As writers, we faced it. But it would be … First of all, he would die in the past, away from his wife and anyone who knew and loved him. It seemed … in a sense, it would be self-destruction by obsession with the past? … I agree that he wanted to stay, but I don’t think it was for my — and I know what Harrison was playing,” Mangold detailed to CinemaBlend. “I think that part of the modern age that he found himself in, where a hero like Indiana Jones was no longer appreciated, and a professor like Professor Jones was no longer appreciated in the way that [he was] in the world that he had known coming up. Having lost a son, having his marriage in trouble, there was a natural attraction — as it would be for anyone — to just starting fresh somewhere, inviting and open without all the problems in your life that you have to somehow repair.”

He added, “And I think that’s what he was playing, because he was dropped into a place that’s intrinsically attractive to him, and absent of all the pain that he was experiencing in his own life at that point.”

The events of the movie, including the finale, drew divided responses from audiences and critics alike, with some being for and some being against the fantastical nature of the adventure’s conclusion. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned 69% positive reviews from critics while 88% of audiences supported the sendoff.

The film is described, “Harrison Ford returns to the role of the legendary hero archaeologist for this highly anticipated final installment of the iconic franchise — a big, globe-trotting, rip-roaring cinematic adventure. Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther), Thomas Kretschmann (Das Boot), Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Olivier Richters (Black Widow), Mads Mikkelsen (Doctor Strange), and newcomer Ethann Isidore. Directed by James Mangold (Logan, Walk the Line) and written by Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp and James Mangold, based on characters created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, has once again composed the score.”  

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now streaming on Disney+.

What do you think of the movie’s ending? Let us know in the comments!