It seemed that the Indiana Jones franchise was setting Shia LaBeouf up to be the next lead in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but poor reception of the film led to those plans being cancelled. Now Lucasfilm is giving Indy one more go, and rumor has it that producer Kathleen Kennedy wants to shake things up when it comes to the new franchise lead.
As per Mail Online, Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Solo: A Star Wars Story), who is currently cast in Indiana Jones 5, could be set up to replace Harrison Ford as the new lead of Indiana Jones. Sources say that Kennedy plans to make ‘big, bold’ changes to the franchise, and it includes having the new lead be a woman. Another source claims, ‘It would be a huge statement, and a great role for Phoebe.’
With Tomb Raider and Jungle Cruise already giving us some spunky female archeologists, Lucasfilm has to find a way to give Waller-Bridge’s character her own charm that would make the character feel original. With Waller-Bridge having a penchant for playing very unique, outspoken characters, I hope she has some input in how her new character will be written.
Then again, we don’t know if Waller-Bridge is going to be the next lead yet. This is all just a rumor for now, and until Lucasfilm or Disney gives us some official details, that’s all we really have.
Catch Indiana Jones 5 when it comes out July 29, 2022.
