The fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, brought new life to a film series that hadn’t seen a new movie in over a decade, but better than that, it gave the franchise a path to continue down without Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is an action adventure movie starring Harrison Ford as the iconic Indiana Jones, an archaeologist and adventurer who is best known for his fedora and bullwhip. In the film, Indy is about to retire from being a professor when he receives a visit from his goddaughter who is in search of a mysterious artifact.
With the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, there are now many questions about how the franchise will move forward. The film sees Indiana Jones quite a bit older than audiences have ever seen him before, and the end of Dial of Destiny insinuates something of a happy ending for the character, without any major plot holes or loose ends. It seems likely that, considering his age, Harrison Ford will not want to continue the franchise at full throttle, so what is the next option? Luckily, Dial of Destiny laid the ideal groundwork for the franchise’s future.
How Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny Sets Up A Helena Spinoff
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny provides a perfect path for the future of the Indiana Jones movies by introducing Helena Shaw. Played by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Shaw is Indy’s goddaughter and clearly shows just as much initiative and passion as he does. Although she appears a bit sneaky at the film’s start, she proves herself to be trustworthy and caring, especially at the end. With Indy on the precipice of retirement, it only makes sense that the franchise would pass the mantel from him to his goddaughter. Plus, Dial of Destiny has already made audiences familiar with her character, so the changeover would be essentially seamless.
Furthermore, focusing Indiana Jones on Helena Shaw offers plenty of directions to go in. Just like Indy, Shaw is the type of character that can be placed into any sort of adventurous situation and it would work. And, she has an interesting backstory to fall back on. In Dial of Destiny, Shaw’s ambitions are mostly inspired by her desire to avenge her father and finish what he started. So, Shaw is not just a strong figurehead, but also has a backstory that explains her motivations. Ultimately, a Helena Shaw spinoff could further explore her relationship with her father or could go in a completely fresh, unrelated direction.
Why A Helena Shaw Spinoff Is Better Than Recasting Indiana Jones
The other option for continuing Indiana Jones is rebooting it with a new actor playing Indiana Jones. While this is a viable option, it isn’t the best one. Indiana Jones is so iconic, and to simply remake it from scratch in the exact same form seems arbitrary. In every aspect, it would be risky. The remake could easily flop considering how beloved the original movies are, and ultimately, just one reboot film could halt the franchise completely. It would all come down to comparison. How does the new Indy compare to Harrison Ford’s Indy? How does the shiny new Raiders of the Lost Ark compare to the familiar, nostalgic one?
Taking the Helena Shaw route would be especially good compared to the recast idea. By passing the franchise over to her, there wouldn’t be nearly as much fanfare. There would definitely be new characters to cast, but the risk factor would decrease immensely. No new actors would have to measure up against Harrison Ford, or at least not so directly. Furthermore, audiences are already familiar with Shaw, and many like her. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is generally well-liked, so there is no reason why she couldn’t carry Indiana Jones. In this way, all the big dangers of rebooting the franchise are quelled by simply passing the franchise to Helena Shaw.
What Cast & Creators Have Said About A Helena Shaw Spinoff
So, could a Helena Shaw spinoff actually happen? The answer is a bit ambiguous. James Mangold, who directed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has no desire to make a Helena Shaw spinoff. In an interview with Variety, he said, “I refuse. I just can’t do it. The amount of lore and Easter eggs and fan service starts to become antithetical to any of this stuff at a certain point. It isn’t storytelling anymore. It’s large-scale advertising.” He has also stated that Shaw’s inclusion was more to fulfill Indiana Jones’ typical “intrepid female character” more than to open the door for a spinoff.
However, Mangold’s refusal isn’t the end-all-be-all of Helena Shaw. In the same Variety article, LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy acknowledged that a Helena Shaw spinoff was “entirely possible,” though nothing was currently in the works. And then there’s the actress herself, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Though Waller-Bridge has not come right out and campaigned for a Helena Shaw sequel, she doesn’t seem disinterested either. She told Variety that “…she did feel fresh on the page, and there is a sense of, is there room in the world for someone like this? So I do think there’s room for a slightly clumsier, bruised, limping female action star, maybe, in the future.”
Will Indiana Jones 5’s Box Office Struggles Ruin Helena Shaw’s Spinoff Chances
One final hurdle that a Helena Shaw spinoff would have to overcome is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s less-than-stellar run at the box office. Despite being part of an iconic franchise, the film did not perform nearly as well as was hoped. In fact, this was an ongoing problem for Disney in 2023. However, Dial of Destiny’s performance isn’t necessarily as big of a factor in the franchise’s future as one might think. Although the film didn’t perform up to standards, Indiana Jones is a long-lasting franchise. Its success came long ago, and as a result, has cemented it in Hollywood forever.
Ultimately, no matter how badly Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny did, Indiana Jones will probably continue to be revived. It is simply one of those iconic franchises that was too popular to die out completely. And in the end, this is great news for a Helena Shaw spinoff. While no one has any intention of replacing Indiana Jones, the future of the franchise cannot rest on Harrison Ford’s shoulders. Therefore, the producers must make a smart decision, and it seems like their smartest choice is right in front of them, ready to be given the OK.
