Indiana Jones: Disney CEO Addresses Whether Franchise Is Really Ending

The cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny have made it quite clear that the upcoming film will be Harrison Ford's final outing as the archaeologist and that no actor will take over the role, leading many to assume this movie could be the end of the line for the franchise, but Disney CEO Bob Iger recently offered a slightly more ambiguous response to the franchise's future. While there are some details that are lost in the context of his comments, the fact that he didn't definitively claim Dial of Destiny was the end of the franchise will be promising for audiences. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny lands in theaters on June 30th.

"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."

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.

While Indiana Jones is understandably an integral component of the franchise, the swashbuckling nature of the experience does leave the opportunity to explore the further adventures of other characters, especially given that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom star Ke Huy Quan is seeing a major surge in popularity following his Oscar win and that Dial of Destiny introduces Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena Jones. Especially with Waller-Bridge being an accomplished filmmaker in her own right, we wouldn't be at all surprised if she developed her own project that continues the adventures of Helena, whether that be as a TV series or as a movie.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny lands in theaters on June 30th.

What do you think of Iger's remarks? Let us know in the comments!