By Rollo Ross
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Harrison Ford is bidding farewell to one of his most famous roles with new film “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which heads to theaters on Friday.
The 80-year-old Ford, who plays the adventurous Nazi-punching archaeologist, confirmed to Reuters that he will not be returning for more relic-related escapades.
“I’m saying goodbye to a brilliant opportunity to bring joy to people,” Ford said in an interview, “but I wanted that last iteration of the series to be about character as much as anything.”
The film starts with a digitally de-aged Ford, created with help from artificial intelligence, fighting Nazis to secure one half of classical inventor Archimedes’ dial of destiny.
While Ford has praised his youthful appearance in the film, he told Reuters he does not think a full-length movie with his younger image would be produced.
“I can’t imagine that that will happen,” he said.
“I think there are barriers to it both legally and that it just ain’t going to work,” he said. “You’ve got to be on a set with people saying, you know, ‘Why don’t we try this? Do this, do that, do the other thing.”
For the remainder of “Dial of Destiny,” the older Jones pursues the other half of the dial with help from goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and her sidekick, Teddy (Ethan Isidore).
The pair found Ford not dissimilar to his character, with Isidore saying he was “making these edgy jokes, like Indiana Jones, actually.”
For Ford, the character will always have a fond place in his heart.
“He means to me what he means to the audience. When I look back at it, I think these were good stories, these were good movies. I’m so proud to have been part of it,” he said.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine)
