Harrison Ford might be bowing out, but there’s a perfect way for ‘Indiana Jones’ to continue

The Indiana Jones franchise would feel incomplete without Harrison Ford, after more than 40 years, and soon to be five films, with the celebrated star at the helm.

Despite this, Ford, who will turn 81 this year, announced that the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be his last appearance as the character. This could mean an end of the franchise as a whole, but some viewers would love to see it continue. Without Ford, it might feel a little bare, but one fan has an idea for a replacement that might just fill that hole perfectly.

Back in 1984, when prequel Temple of Doom arrived in theaters, fans were introduced to a charming new side kick, and they quickly fell in love. Short Round only cropped up in the one Indiana Jones film, but renewed love for actor Ke Huy Quan is bringing him back to the forefront of conversations. With this — and his well-deserved wins for Everything Everywhere All At Once — in mind, we think Quan might just be the perfect replacement for Ford.

Noting that Hollywood should “strike while the iron’s hot,” Twitter user Kris Wernowsky pitched Quan as the perfect fit to take up the Indiana Jones mantle. He’s already a beloved staple of the franchise, and the idea of him inheriting Indy’s passion for history and taking up the whip in his mentor’s name would be a wonderful callback to the only good parts of Temple of Doom.

Wernowsky, pointing out that audiences “know so little about Short Round,” accurately noted that “nothing says street-smart kid can’t become a treasure-hunting archeologist swashbuckler who hates Nazis.”

It’s true. There’s no real reason not to pass the mantle to Quan, particularly in his moment on top. Quan is experiencing a fresh surge in relevance, thanks to his scene-stealing role in EEAAO, and his charm and zeal could be just the breath of fresh air the Indiana Jones franchise needs. To top it off, he’s a good 30 years younger than Ford, and at only 51 years old, still has at least a decade in him before many of the stunts demanded by the franchise become too difficult to pull off.