Indiana Jones Star Harrison Ford Jokes About the Perfect Actor to Take Over the Role

By Patrick Cavanaugh

With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny slated to be Harrison Ford's final outing as the beloved archaeologist, audiences are wondering what that could mean for the character going forward, and Ford himself has the perfect pick for the actor who could take over: Tom Selleck. This choice is actually a reference to the fact that Selleck was originally attached to the role, though his contractual obligations to Magnum, P.I. meant that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas ended up enlisting the Han Solo actor to embody the character in a role spanning more than four decades. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny lands in theaters on June 30th.

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter for who Ford could have seen taking over, Ford quipped, "Tom Selleck." Knowing how close Selleck was to taking the role, the outlet posited that Ford should have some sympathy for his peer, though Ford retorted, "No. I feel lucky I got it. But I don't feel that he's had an unlucky career. He seems like a happy guy."

Much like how Ford doesn't have any issues with how things unfolded, Selleck previously recalled his pride over how he remained committed to his contract.

"After I did the pilot for Magnum, I tested for Indiana Jones and got the job," Selleck recalled to BUILD Series back in 2017. "Steven and George, my newest pals at the time, offered me the job and I said, 'Well, I've done this pilot,' and they said, 'Well, thanks for telling us. Most actors wouldn't do that, but we've got cards to play with CBS.' Turned out, CBS wouldn't let me do it. They held the offer out for about a month -- Harrison Ford hates to hear this. Harrison, this is your role and you're indelible in it, it's just an interesting story."

He continued, "But, yeah, I mean, look -- I signed a deal for Magnum, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm proud that I lived up to my contract. Some people said, 'You gotta get in the car and drive into a brick wall and get injured and get out of Magnum and do this.' I said, 'I gotta look my mom and dad in the eye and we don't do that,' so I did Magnum. It's not so bad, is it?"

With Ford having confirmed this is his last adventure as the character and with various filmmakers involved in the series confirming no one will replace Ford as the figure, fans are left to speculate about what the future will hold for the franchise.

Related:

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

Could you see another actor taking over the role? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars! 

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