Observations & Takeaways From First 'Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny' Trailer!

Grab your Fedoras and bullwhips because Indy is back! Just over 40 years since Raiders of the Lost Ark comes the 5th film in the Indiana Jones franchise. The plot remains under close wraps for now, but the release of a new trailer sheds light on what we may see when it hits theaters on June 30 of next year. 

The new film goes under the title Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny and the trailer presents Indy in his later years, far removed from the adventures of his past but gets pulled into adventure. As Empirereported, ”Indiana Jones 5 finds our hero in 1969, living against the backdrop of the space race – but the American effort to beat the Russians to the Moon brings with it some uncomfortable truths for Indy.” Once again, the audience is being put through revisionist history at its most fun. 

The new film will use de-aging technology on star Harrison Ford, bringing him back to his 30s. This technology has been popping up everywhere lately, from Lucasfilm's "The Mandalorian" to Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, using it to de-age or even bring deceased actors back to life. The use of this technology also gives hints to the plot, suggesting that some form of time travel might be involved. Even the title of the movie backs it up!   

An exciting female lead has also been named to co-star along with Harrison Ford. Phoebe Waller-Bridge debuts as Indie’s god daughter. Other additions to the cast include Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, and Shaunette Renée Wilson, while John Rhys-Davies returns as Indy's lifelong pal Sallah. And perhaps because of or in spite of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it doesn’t seem as though Shia LeBeouf will make a return as Indy’s son. 

One glaringly big change in this installment is the absence of Steven Spielberg at the helm in the director's chair. This is the first time Spielberg will not direct a film from the franchise, bestowing those duties to James Mangold, the director of Logan and Walk the Line. His previous work emphasizes his ability to take larger-than-life, blockbuster heroes and break them down into real human stories.

This very well could be the last Indiana Jones film, so paying homage to the character is expected at every moment. The trailer even brings the past back with references to the previous films, such as the boulders and Indy bringing a whip to a gunfight. This film also marks only the second non-Star Wars feature film from the studio Lucasfilm since being bought by Disney in 2012. Unfortunately, we have to wait until the new year to catch a glimpse of Indy in action, but until then, you can catch up on all his past adventures on Paramount+.