As soon as it was announced that Phoebe Waller-Bridge had been cast as the female lead in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, speculation began to run rampant that Disney/Lucasfilm were planning to introduce her character, Helena Shaw, to take over from Harrison Ford as the hero of the franchise.
So, does it happen? Spoilers ahead!
First off, no, Shaw is not positioned as the "female Indiana Jones" in any way. Though the characters do share some similarities (she is also a clever and resourceful archaeologist with a kid sidekick, for example), Indy's god-daughter is a lot more ruthless and money-motivated than the legendary adventurer... at least, at first.
Shaw's arc does eventually bring her to the realization that there's more to life than "fortune and glory," and she seemingly decides to stay in Jones and Marion's (Karen Allen) lives at the end of the movie.
As for Waller-Bridge taking over as the lead of the franchise, we don't see it happening. Even if The Dial of Destiny dropped a few hints that this might be on the cards (and it doesn't), director James Mangold has already made it clear that he has no interest in making a "Helena Shaw and the..." movie.
Of course, if this film proves to be a big enough hit, that decision could be out of his hands, but we'd say it's highly unlikely.
Ford has confirmed that he has hung up the iconic fedora for good, which means Doctor Henry "Indiana" Jones - and his franchise - have almost certainly retired.
Do you plan on seeing The Dial of Destiny this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
The movie also stars 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), and Ethann Isidore (Mortel).
Directed by James Mangold, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has worked on each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, once again composed the score.
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