Harrison Ford Always Wanted Each Indiana Jones Movie To Have This Element

If there's anything Harrison Ford hopes he's made clear through his portrayal of Indiana Jones, it's this: You don't get to bring an icon to life on the big screen by having him stay exactly the same, frozen in amber, for over four decades. Although many questioned the need for a fourth "Indiana Jones" sequel this past summer. with James Mangold's "Dial of Destiny" — citing the grizzled, 81-year-old actor's age as the biggest reason to leave this old-fashioned archaeologist in the past where he belongs — Ford saw this as the biggest reason to make the movie in the first place. In fact, the idea of bringing something new to the character with every movie has been his one constant every time he suited up in that battered fedora and strapped on his trusty whip.

In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, conducted just prior to the June 2023 release of "Dial of Destiny," Ford thought back on his long run as Indy and took an introspective look at why he kept coming back as the Nazi-punching treasure hunter over the decades. In a telling quote that perhaps best explains the acting legend's preference for this franchise over his infamous apathy directed towards that galaxy far, far away, he reveals the one significant request he wanted to maintain through each film in the "Indiana Jones" series. As he put it: 

"One thing I asked for in each of them was to further embrace a complication of the character. I wanted to know more about Indiana Jones. I wanted the things that he did to be generated out of his character, out of his nature, out of his experience. I didn't want it just to be pinned on like a merit badge."

As far as actors who take complete ownership of their most famous roles go, you can't ask for someone more passionate and protective of a character than Harrison Ford with Dr. Jones. Through each and every film, it's readily apparent that he sought to put Indy in brand-new situations with unique obstacles that would give audiences an even greater appreciation of what makes our hero tick. From the peek into his more cynical and roguish bearing in the prequel "Temple of Doom" to his daddy issues in "The Last Crusade" to the well-intentioned reversal of that dynamic in "Crystal Skull," arguably each and every movie leading up to "Dial of Destiny" lived up to Ford's mandate.

As part of his lengthy answer later in the same interview, Ford went even further to explain his high ambitions for his swan song. You can practically sense the actor recalling that famous line about how, "It's not the years, honey. It's the mileage," which "Dial of Destiny" wryly called back to at one point in the film. But for Ford, he only ever wanted to leave the best possible mark on the fans and keep them invested in the character of Indiana Jones:

"I wanted these films to inspire people, to make them laugh, to make them cry. And so for me it's been just an unbelievable experience to have this opportunity. And the last one, I wanted to be about character. I wanted it to be about what it's like to be an older archeologist."

"Dial of Destiny" was generally embraced by fans (though it performed slightly less well at the box office), but at least Ford hung up the hat knowing he poured everything he had into one of his most beloved roles.