‘I’ve just done a Marvel movie, I know a hero when I see one’: Harrison Ford explains why Indiana Jones isn’t a superhero

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to hit theaters this week, marking Harrison Ford’s final outing as the whip-cracking archeologist, and so the actor has taken the time to explain just what kind of hero Indy really is.

In an interview with Variety, Ford discussed all things Indiana Jones as he prepares to say farewell to a beloved icon of cinema. Of course, times have changed since Indiana Jones first fought the Nazis over the Ark of the Covenant. We’ve moved on from characters like him, in favor of superheroes. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but as Ford puts it, his character is an “ordinary hero,” something that separates him from the caste of heroes currently dominating cinema.

“I think we’ve got a lot of ordinary heroes out there. They just don’t appear in movies all the time. I mean, it’s a convention in drama… the unexpected hero, but I have always insisted that I really don’t want to be characterized as playing heroes.”

To put it simply, Indy is just some guy, there’s nothing special about him, he’s just an archeologist who ends up in dangerous situations and has to get by on bravery and wit alone. But that’s exactly what makes the character so fun to watch. Ford seems to enjoy playing these sorts of characters the most.

I play archaeologists or heart surgeons, or, you know, presidents of the United States who get into a shitstorm and decide to do something about it.

Of course, the Star Wars actor has had his fair share of playing both types of hero. There’s no denying he knows what he’s talking about, especially considering the fact that he’s just come off the back of filming Captain America: Brave New World.

But this film was more than that. I’ve just done a Marvel movie […], I know a hero when I see one. He’s got a cape. He can fly or something like that. But this film is not about heroes [like that]…

Jones is a hero alright, just not a super one, the difference comes in the presentation. If he had a cape he’d be good to go. It goes a little deeper than that, obviously, but the point is that in the current roster of films being released, Ford’s character stands out for being more ordinary, more down to earth, and in a way, more relatable.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny opens in theaters on June 30.