Passing the Whip: Rumors Point to Phoebe Waller-Bridge Taking Over as Indy After Harrison Ford Retires
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is co-starring with Harrison Ford in the upcoming fifth Indiana Jones movie installment, but will she be the next to don Indy’s iconic fedora?
The cat isn’t out of the Fleabag yet, but The Daily Mail reports that insiders are looking at Waller-Bridge to take over as the lead in the franchise that started with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. She wouldn’t be playing Indiana Jones, but she would be an adventurer in the same mold as Ford’s character.
Ford has played archaeologist-adventurer Dr Henry “Indiana” Jones in four films: 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984’s Temple of Doom, 1989’s The Last Crusade and 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and is reprising the role in the sequel.
Insiders told The Mail that Kathleen Kennedy, the Hollywood producer behind the franchise, is keen to make ‘big, bold’ changes’ (and what could be bigger than switching the lead character to a woman?) with a source saying, “the gossip on the set is that this character will slot into the leading role.”
One insider said, “it would be a huge statement, and a great role for Phoebe.”
Although others in the industry cast doubt on the suggestion, rumors are swirling that Waller-Bridge will headline future Indiana Jones projects. Kennedy’s spokesman declined to comment on the rumors.
Two time Golden Globe winner Waller-Bridge is no stranger to action films; in 2018, she voiced L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and in 2019, Waller-Bridge co-wrote the screenplay for No Time To Die, the 25th James Bond film, scheduled to be released October 8th of this year. She also created the spy thriller Killing Eve for the BBC.
Naturally, Waller-Bridge assuming the Indiana Jones mantle would be a giant spoiler for Indiana Jones 5, so it is no surprise that the studio is giving nothing away. The movie is still in production, and Waller-Bridge’s character is said to be an assistant to Indiana. She has been spotted wearing a dashing maroon corduroy jacket and blue trousers on set.
Indiana Jones 5 is expected to be released on July 29, 2022.
