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Warning: This post contains MAJOR spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s ending wraps up the titular character’s story, with goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) bringing him back to 1969 from 212 BC. The fifth Indiana Jones film, directed by James Mangold, follows Harrison Ford’s beloved archaeologist as he hunts down the Dial of Destiny alongside Helena before it falls into Nazi hands. The search for the second half of Archimedes’ dial takes them from New York to Morocco, Greece, and Italy.
After their search leads them to Syracuse, Indy, Helena, and Teddy, followed closely by Voller’s Nazi crew, make their way to Archimedes’ tomb, where they discover the mathematician was buried wearing a modern day watch. Voller, having kidnapped Teddy, uses Archimedes’ clock necklace to unlock the two pieces of the dial. With the coordinates set, Voller plans to fly through a fissure in time to August 20, 1939, kill Hitler and correct every blunder made. However, the continental drift sends them to the Siege of Syracuse instead, where Indy meets Archimedes. Voller is killed, and Helena takes Indy back to 1969, where he is reunited with Marion and his friends.
Indiana Jones Time Travels – And Wants To Stay In The Past
Indiana Jones time travels to the Siege of Syracuse, which sees the Romans successfully capturing the city and taking control of Sicily. As it turned out, the Dial of Destiny was always going to send them back through time to that moment — Archimedes needed help, and he’d designed the artifact to do what he thought was needed. Indy, having been shot, wants to live out the rest of his days alongside Archimedes. Indiana Jones has studied history, gone on adventures to recover lost artifacts, but remaining in the past would have given him the opportunity to actually live through a major historical event.
Crucially, Indy didn’t think he had anything to go back to in 1969. Marion had left him and his son was killed in action. Indy was living a miserable life, and he didn’t want to go back to that feeling. It’s possible he believed he could genuinely help Archimedes; at the very least, Indy would be at peace knowing he died in the midst of an event he had long researched. It would have given some meaning to his life, especially knowing his personal life was a mess. But Helena knew that her godfather still had something left to live for, and the moment gave her clarity as well.
She wanted to be in Indy’s life, and she realized he still had a lot more of himself to give in his time. Plus, Indiana Jones remaining in the past would have altered history, and the repercussions of that would have been too massive to calculate. Indy realizing Helena wanted him around also made him feel like he could still have a positive impact on someone’s life. She couldn’t replace his son, but he could still be a father-figure to her.
Indiana Jones & Marion Ravenwood’s Break-Up & Reunion
At the start of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, it was revealed that Indy and Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) were in the midst of separating. Indiana was hesitant to sign the papers, however, but it was a big part of why he was so grumpy and sad. Marion and Indy’s marriage was disintegrating because of their son’s death. Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt Williams enlisted in the military and died in action. Indy mentions that he enlisted to piss him off, which likely led to some resentment on Marion’s part. Ultimately, Marion was grieving, and Indiana Jones didn’t really know how to help matters. This strained their marriage, leading them to break up.
However, all hope was not lost. While it seemed like it was really over for Indy and Marion, the latter appears at the end of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The fact that Marion answered the call from Helena, who likely told her what happened, indicates Marion’s still-existing feelings for Indy. It’s possible Marion didn’t want to divorce Indy, but saw it as the only solution. But Dial of Destiny’s ending saw them begin to heal. Marion suggests that everything still hurts, but there’s hope that they’ll start small and work their way toward mending their relationship. It’s a happy ending for Indiana Jones after a fraught journey.
Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny Is About Coming To Terms With Time
Time changes things — people, places, feelings. Indiana Jones knows this better than anyone, and Dial of Destiny is about coming to terms with time, be it the present or the past. Aging and filled with regret, Indy believes his time is up, that there’s nothing left for him. Time made Indy realize the past can’t be changed, that he must come to terms with it instead. Indy’s moment on the beach of Syracuse brought that idea into clarity, but he was tired and ready to give up. A pertinent aspect of the film’s message, however, is that time doesn’t stop.
Indy can let the past swallow him, or he can choose to move forward, learning from his mistakes and being there for the people he loves. Jürgen Voller, on the other hand, isn’t content with moving forward. He’s a villain who wants to shape time as he sees fit, believing it can be altered if he takes control of it, adjusting time to his needs rather than letting things be as they are. Voller has not come to terms with the fact that the Nazis were defeated, and he tries to go up against time instead of accepting the loss. Each character is battling time in their own way.
What Harrison Ford Has Said About Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny’s Ending
Harrison Ford has been open about liking the ending of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The actor spoke about the way the film’s ending ties things up for Indy, and how it brings him back to being the man audiences have grown to love. The film’s ending is poignant, with Ford stating that it was fitting and “a good choice to leave him in the condition we see him at the end of the film.” While Ford and director James Mangold discussed potentially killing off Indiana Jones by the end of the movie, Mangold didn’t want to be the one to kill such an iconic character.
Is Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny The Last Movie?
In 2022, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that Ford’s role would not be recast, though the studio’s history has proven otherwise. Ford has confirmed that Indiana Jones 5 is his last film, stating that he wanted to deal with the end of Indy’s academic career and his age. On the other hand, Mangold has said that Indiana Jones may have retired from teaching, but it doesn’t mean that his adventures are over after Dial of Destiny’s ending. Mangold is sure that Indy will never “stop digging” despite hanging up his hat. That might not translate to another film, but if there is, a film without Ford wouldn’t be the same.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ends with the beloved archaeologist hanging up his hat — literally. With the way the movie wrapped things up, it’s possible Indiana Jones will retire as a professor and spend the rest of his time with Marion, Helena, Teddy, and Sallah. Indy has a large extended family, and considering his battle with time, Dial of Destiny seeing him settling down and living life to the fullest suggests he won’t be going on any more wild archaeological adventures.
But just because Indy is done doesn’t mean Helena can’t take his place when it comes to archaeological hunts. It’s likely Indy will fan the flames of Helena’s passion for finding ancient items. Helena may have wanted the Dial of Destiny to pay off her debt at first, but she was equally fascinated with the artifact’s history. It had a special place in her heart due to her father’s obsession with it. With Indiana Jones hanging up his hat, it opens the door for Helena and Teddy to take the reins of whatever adventure calls next. Indy has more than earned his right to some rest.
As for the Indiana Jones franchise itself, there were plans to continue the story without Ford. There were ideas for multiple films and a Disney+ prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, but these plans were all scrapped eventually. Ford’s final outing was confirmed to bring the Indiana Jones franchise to an end for good — at least for now. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s final shot — of Indy’s hat on a clothesline — is officially the end of the line, and it leaves the archaeologist’s journey in as good a place as any.
