Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is in movie theaters now, with Harrison Ford returning to the role of the iconic adventurer Indiana Jones. While the film mainly serves as another riveting adventure for the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark character, there are a few ties to previous films in the Indiana Jones franchise. In particular, we learn the tragic fate of a major character in the Indiana Jones canon. Spoilers ahead for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. (Click here to see showtimes and purchase movie tickets to see ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.‘)
In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny we see Indy in a very different place than where we left him in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He’s living alone and has split from his wife, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen). His son, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), is nowhere to be seen. We learn later in the film the reason for not only Mutt’s absence but also Indy and Marion’s separation. Mutt is dead.
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Mutt, who actually carries Indy’s namesake as Henry Walton Jones III, died as a soldier in the Vietnam War some time between Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. While explaining the situation to Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Indy notes that he’d love to go back in time and warn Mutt not to enlist. Harrison Ford‘s adventurer also reveals that the grief that both he and Marion are experiencing as a result of Mutt’s death has totally destroyed their marriage
Not featured in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Mutt was first introduced in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The Mutt character was a controversial one off-screen, with many criticizing the way he was written in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Shia LaBeouf’s acting also had its critics, and the actor’s personal scandals in the years since have not exactly endeared him to fans. It’s not hard to see why writers Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp and James Mangold wrote him off off-screen. Mutt’s death at least adds some emotional weight to Indy’s journey in The Dial of Destiny, so at least it’s not a total waste.
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Official Synopsis
Here is the official synopsis of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, via Lucasfilm: “Directed by James Mangold, the long-awaited fifth installment of the Indiana Jones series finds our globe-trotting archaeologist off on his final adventure. Set in 1969, Indy (Harrison Ford) is ready to retire when his estranged goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) comes back into his life — drawing him into a race to find a mystical dial before Nazi scientist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen).”
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Official Synopsis
Here is the official synopsis of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, via Lucasfilm: “Kidnapped by Soviet agents and taken to a secret American military base, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) encounters a strange mystery of alien visitors and a crystal skull with mystical powers. With a rebellious young biker named Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), Indy heads south into the dense jungles of Peru in order to thwart the Soviets’ dangerous mission and perhaps uncover the secret himself.”
