Harrison Ford Wasn't Afraid To Get Physical For Indiana Jones: Dial Of Destiny

Harrison Ford isn't quite ready to hang up the bullwhip and dusty fedora that the legendary actor has donned for over four decades. Indiana Jones is arguably the role Ford was born to play, and his eagerness to return as the famed archaeologist in the fifth (and most likely final) entry, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," should help to get fans excited after the lukewarm reception of "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

James Mangold ("Logan," "Ford vs Ferrari") is taking over director duties for Indy's next adventure, and has nothing but praise regarding Ford's dedication to making "Dial of Destiny" a satisfying and fitting sendoff for one of cinema's greatest heroes. At 79 years old, Ford committed to the physicality required to pull off the demands of the part with a level of vigor that even went a tad overboard at times, according to his director. "Harrison was up for anything," Mangold told The Hollywood Reporter. "If anything, he was the one who was fighting to do things, and then I would be like, 'No, not this one.'"

Ford is definitely no stranger to injury, having fractured his ankle after the hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon crushed his leg on the set of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and hurt his shoulder filming "Dial of Destiny." Although he avoided any mishaps on the latter movie beyond that, Mangold admitted that the years have definitely started to catch up with the mileage for Ford. If anything, however, that should make for a compelling throughline in this next installment that gets to the heart of what makes Indiana Jones such a cherished, revered character. Now, Ford's own age and vulnerability should make Indy even more relatable.

Harrison Ford has remained a largely physical actor well into the later years of his career, having also depicted the combative U.S. President in Wolfgang Peterson's "Air Force One" and a hard hitting security specialist in "Firewall." (Remember Ford smashing through a cabin window in the trailer?) The quieter, funnier side of Ford has always been part of his charm as well, but the stunts he's performed over multiple films have definitely caught up with him. He's still tough as nails, but James Mangold revealed that even Ford got a little worn down after being thrown around so much on the set of "Dial of Destiny," telling THR:

"Harrison is not unlike Indy in the sense he's carrying with him the scars of all the films he's made, as well as his own private calamities. He is literally this embodiment of all those bruises, broken bones and being bounced off walls and being thrown to the floor over so many years. As any actor or stuntman will tell you, this stuff takes its toll, especially when the director keeps going, 'One more time!'"

After getting a closer look at the high-flying action in the latest trailer unveiled during Super Bowl LVII, Ford will be seen falling out of a plane, fist fighting with Nazis, and gallivanting on horseback through a ticker tape parade. Indy will also inevitably clash with Mads Mikkelsen at some point, who'll be playing a former "Nazi" named Voller with serious plans to sabotage the Apollo moon landing program. Set in 1969, the film's action set pieces should still be front and center but Indy's age will definitely be a major factor. As it should be.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" explodes into theaters on June 30, 2023.