Indiana Jones 5 Director Addresses Upcoming Disney+ Spin-Off Series

The fifth film in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones, and the Dial of Destiny, is headed into theaters on June 30, 2023, but that isn’t the only Indiana Jones content fans have to look forward to. It was announced back in November that a television series for Disney+ was in development as well with reports indicating that the series may follow a major character from the film. With few confirmed details about the series, fans have had a lot to speculate about — including that it would include Harrison Ford as the titular character or even Phoebe Waller-Bridge — but now, James Mangold is setting the record straight.

On Twitter, the Indiana Jones 5 filmmaker responded to a fan who asked about Ford or Bridge playing Indy in the series, noting that “neither” are set to be in the series. He further clarified that in a later response.

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“I already said (above) that neither character you mention is in the proposed show,” he wrote. “It is not up to me to give away more than that yet. Sorry!”

What do we know about the Indiana Jones series for Disney+?

At this time, we know very little about the series as it is in development, though previously speaking on The Hot Mic podcast, reporter Jeff Sneider revealed he’s hard the series is a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and follows a surprising character

“I’ve heard that the Indiana Jones series is a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark that will follow Marion’s father,” Sneider revealed. “I’m told he is the protagonist of the Indiana Jones series.” As fans may recall, Abner Ravenwood is a character that is referenced quite a bit in the Indiana Jones movies but has never actually appeared in any of the films, comics, or stories. Within the mythology of Indiana Jones, Abner is not only the father of Karen Allen’s character, and by extension the grandfather of Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt, but was the primary mentor of Henry Jones Jr. while he was studying.

What is Indiana Jones 5 about?

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be directed by Logan’s James Mangold. Specific plot details are currently unknown at this time. The cast also includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Shaunette Renee Wilson (“Black Panther”), Thomas Kretschmann (“Das Boot”), Toby Jones (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Oliver Richters (“Black Widow”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”) and Mads Mikkelsen (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”).

“I don’t really want to give them what they want to see,” Ford said of the film in a 2020 interview. “I want to give them something they didn’t anticipate seeing. I think they’re used to a degree of disappointment when you revisit — I mean certainly the Marvel movies have made a spectacular example of success that worked the other way around. They killed it. Well, we’re not going to make another Indiana Jones unless we’re in a position to kill it. We want it to be the best. So, we’ve got some scheduling issues, a few script things still to do, but we’re determined to get it right before we get it made.”

Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is set to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023.