Harrison Ford Is Tired Of Answering One Star Wars Superfan Question

I'm not sure of the exact point at which Harrison Ford transmogrified from charmingly wry leading man to Hollywood's biggest grump, but it might have been around the time "K-19: The Widowmaker" flopped at the box office. Either way, it's been a genuine delight to see the now famously crotchety veteran star angrily dismiss questions about "Star Wars" and Han Solo — arguably his biggest character alongside Indiana Jones — ever since.

Come to think of it, Ford has always had a healthy disdain for the franchise that turned him into a star. He's known for not being the biggest fan of George Lucas' "Star Wars" writing, famously telling the director, "You can type this s***, but you sure can't say it!" And that was way before his later descent into grumpiness. But the light-hearted ribbing of his former director developed into palpable scorn as Ford aged, with the actor telling ABC News in 2010 that Han Solo was, "not so interesting to me," before revealing he thought the character should have died in "Return of the Jedi."

Watching this unfold has been the perfect salve for the often cultish devotion of "Star Wars" fans, with Ford's curt rejoinders to what he sees as pointless inquiries cutting right through the intensity of fan fervor. Still, you get the sense that somewhere, beneath the crabbiness, the esteemed leading man has a sense of humor about the whole thing. But there is one question that clearly irks Ford to his core — one that manages to combine his two biggest roles into one query so bothersome it's guaranteed to elicit an outburst of genuine anger. Which is basically what happened in a recent interview.

2010 was big for Harrison Ford grumpiness. The same year he expressed his preference for Han Solo to have perished in "Star Wars: Episode VI," he spoke to the AV Club about the questions he gets from fans, saying:

"I don't mind answering thoughtful questions. But I'm not thrilled about answering questions like 'If you were being mugged, and you had a lightsaber in one pocket and a whip in the other, which would you use?'"

Unfortunately for Ford, this revelation didn't stop those kind of questions from rolling in. Back at Comic-Con 2013, the star was asked about what Indiana Jones and Han Solo would say to each other if they met, to which he replied, sarcastically, "Hi, how are you?" before shaking his head.

And now, in 2023, it looks as though the man is still dogged by mindless questions about his most famous characters. In an Esquire interview, he responded to a query about questions he gets from "Star Wars" superfans by giving possibly the most Harrison Ford answer he's ever given, radiating irascible energy that's striking even for him:

"Well, they usually ask me, 'If there was a fight between Han Solo and Indiana Jones, who would f*****' win?' And I say [voice rising, fingers drumming], 'Me, a******! I don't want to f****** make s*** up like that. I mean, what are you asking me that crap for?'"

Sounds like the fans haven't let up with their questions since the great Harrison Ford grumpiness tour of 2010, then.

"Star Wars" fans should take heart. While it does seem Harrison Ford is uniquely irritated by questions about Han Solo, he's also not above badmouthing various other of his projects. The 80-year-old still isn't all that fond of "Blade Runner," or at least the various changes that were made at the behest of the studio. And he's also just generally not taking any crap in his twilight years, cursing out the stunt crew on "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" because they dared to help him get off his horse.

That said, Ford not caring about "Star Wars" has become somewhat of a meme in and of itself. And it seems mentioning that franchise in the same breath as his Indy movies is the key to getting him really riled up.

Whether his grumpiness translates into a fitting final outing for Dr. Jones in the upcoming fifth installment remains to be seen. But I have heard reports that the film suffers from "The Irishman" syndrome in the sense that its de-aging technology results in an uncanny depiction of a young Indiana Jones that moves with the stilted sluggishness of an octogenarian. Part of the charm of the original Indy movies was Ford's inherent cheekiness, and I can't help but think it's going to be weird watching crabby Ford projected through the body of a formerly dynamic and sprightly hero. Of course, we'll have to see how things play out when the movie debuts in theaters on June 30, 2023.