Indiana Jones' Sidekick Problem Makes A Reboot Inevitable

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The Indiana Jones movies have a problem with their sidekicks, and this will inevitably force a francise reboot of some kind. Played by Harrison Ford, the character of Indiana Jones was first introduced in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, a massively successful movie that has so far earned four sequels — the latest of which is on its way in June 2023 — plus a prequel television series, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Over his decades-long tenure on screens around the world, Indiana Jones has become iconic thanks in part to his instantly recognizable accoutrements.

While Indiana Jones's fedora and bullwhip are two things that he's rarely seen without, his movies also give him another regular accessory: a sidekick. Jones typically shares his adventures with at least one or two supporting characters. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, he has Sallah, an Egyptian acquaintance who may or may not inadvertently help Indiana Jones cause World War II. In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, he has young Short Round by his side, and in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, he has his son, Mutt. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade sees the titular adventurer traveling again with Sallah, as well as colleague Marcus Brody, who was also from Raiders of the Lost Ark, plus his own father, Henry Jones Sr.

Related: Indiana Jones 5's Time Travel Could Flip The Franchise's Ending Trope

The problem with all of these sidekick characters is that, by not having Indiana Jones work consistently with any one person, each of the roles is underwritten. It also means that there's no logical successor to be the franchise's next protagonist, and that makes an Indiana Jones reboot almost an inevitability. The upcoming Indiana Jones 5 will