Last night, we finally got our first look at Indiana Jones 5, now officially titled Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. This will see the 80-year-old Harrison Ford putting on the fedora and wielding the bullwhip for one last adventure, set in the late 1960s to the backdrop of the space race.
For years, the future of the Indiana Jones franchise has seemed to be recasting the role, so a younger actor could play one of the most iconic roles in cinema. But, after this trailer, it seems technology has advanced to the point where a digitally de-aged Harrison Ford looks practically indistinguishable from the real thing.
So, if we can get a younger Indy on screen, why couldn’t we see Han Solo returning in The Mandalorian?
The Mandalorian is set in the period between Revenge of the Sith and The Force Awakens, meaning the original trilogy favorites are out there somewhere in the universe doing their thing. We’ve already seen Mark Hamill as a deepfaked Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian‘s second season finale and in The Book of Boba Fett, so there doesn’t seem to be any technical reason why they couldn’t do the same for Han (and judging by this trailer they already have the deepfake ready to go).
The one thing standing in the way of this is Harrison Ford himself. The famously grumpy actor is said to have only agreed to appear in The Force Awakens if Han died in it. Ford briefly reprised the role in The Rise of Skywalker, though this was to honor the memory of his dearly departed friend Carrie Fisher.
But hey, if the stars align (and if Disney parks a dump truck full of money outside Ford’s house) maybe we might see Han one last time.
The Mandalorian season three will air on Disney Plus in March 2023.
