Bad News For ‘Indy’ as Disney Reportedly Cancels New Entry

Will fans ever see more Indy?

In late 2022 there seemed to be no shortage of good news for Indiana Jones fans. Finally, years after the project was announced, fans had photos, then a title, then a trailer, and it all seemed to be going so well! James Mangold was excited and confident, Steven Spielberg shared his confidence, and Harrison Ford was looking great in all the new footage. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, it seems…

Related: Report: Disney Plans the Future of ‘Indiana Jones’ Franchise

The 1980s were a heyday for Lucasfilm. George Lucas and Steven Speilberg made some of the very best films of the decade, including Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and, of course, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). The 80s would also see the other two best Indiana Jones films to date, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). The three films would define the genre and start a cultural revolution.

From Raiders down until the present day, fedoras and rolling boulders have been synonymous with adventure. Parodies and homages, nods and tributes have been present in franchises from The Simpsons to The Clone wars and beyond. With as popular as Indiana Jones has been as a franchise, it’s very surprising that since Last Crusade, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), there has been very little content.

Instead, Lucasfilm has been content to focus instead on Star Wars. For decades there have been books, movies, series, shorts, comics, and more, all pushed to the forefront, while Indiana Jones gets the occasional rerelease, the odd comic book, or a novel that was released 30 years ago. With the announcement of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) and a subsequent Disney+ series, it looked like the days of Lucasfilm ignoring the franchise were over…but that may not be the case after all.

Comicbook recently covered some comments from industry insider Jeff Sneider who recently said that the Indiana Jones spinoff series slated for Disney+ has been canceled. Nothing has been officially announced along these lines, so it may well still be a rumor, but with Bob Iger urging caution at Lucasfilm, particularly with Star Wars, it is a possibility. That, along with the immediate cancellation of the Willow series, and things don’t look good for an Indy series.

There is one shining ray of hope, however. Rumors suggested that the series was initially planned to focus on Abner Ravenwood, Indy’s (Harrison Ford) mentor, and father of Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). It could be, with his recent win at the Oscars and regained popularity, Lucasfilm may be planning not to cancel but to pivot and create a series around Temple of Doom star Ke Huy Quan. Ever since his return to stardom, fans have been clamoring for a Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) series and this may well be a sign that Lucasfilm is listening!

Related: New ‘Indiana Jones’ Merch Reveals Key Detail of New Film!

Whatever happens, fans will, fortunately, be able to see Indy (Ford) back in action in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which swings into theaters on June 30, 2023. The film stars Harrison Ford as Henry Jones/Indiana Jones, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena Shaw, Mads Mikkelsen as Jürgen Voller, and John Rhys-Davies as Sallah. This next and presumedly final installment will feature Ford’s last outing as the famous archaeologist as he fights against a familiar foe to get a hold of the artifact before it’s too late!

What do you think about this potential cancelation? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!