Recent set photos for costars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renée Wilson. The fifth entry in the franchise is slated for release on 28 July 2022, so there is plenty of time for speculation between now and then, starting with set photos that possibly reveal multiple timelines.
The set photos that recently came out of the production included a stunt double with a young Harrison Ford mask, suggesting that the film will be using Disney’s CGI de-aging technology to flashback to Indian Jones' early years. That means at least two timelines – one with the old Indy, and one with the young Indy. It’s possible that the earlier timeline could just be for a single flashback sequence in Indiana Jones 5, but there’s reason to believe it will be more than that.
According to the set photos, the flashback scene in question sees Indy battling against Nazis – the main villains of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. That connection to the older films could mean that the old Indy timeline will tie back to some earlier adventure. Maybe he was chasing after some artifact in his youth that was lost, only to see it resurface decades later. Or maybe an old foe, long thought dead, returns to challenge Indiana Jones.
That kind of story would mean more of a balance between the two timelines, with multiple flashbacks, which could be great for the film overall. As long as the de-aging looks convincing for a young Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford, it could mean lots of nostalgia for the beloved early films, and some great motivation for the older version of Indy to go on one more adventure. Like Harrison Ford himself, Indy would need a pretty compelling reason to risk his life again at such an old age. But if his new adventure is rooted in some unfinished business from the past, it would make a lot more sense.
Because of the versatility of using CGI de-aging, there could even be more than two timelines in Indiana Jones 5. The movie could become a multi-generational journey, with Indy encountering the same artifact, such as the Ark of the Covenant, or group of enemies repeatedly at different points in his life. Such a structure could set up a true conclusion to the character's story by giving him proper closure on a lifelong quest. And given how old Ford is now, the series would do well to give him and Indy a true finale in Indiana Jones 5.
