Variety has announced that Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be co-starring in the as-yet-untitled Indiana Jones 5 movie, alongside the venerable Harrison Ford as the intrepid archaeologist.

The Indiana Jones franchise has included four blockbuster movies, a TV show, videogames, comic books, paperback novels, and rides at Disneyland. Now the saga of the heroic archaeologist will have a fifth movie, tentatively set to be released July 29, 2022. However it has been delayed several times, so that release date is more hopeful than carved in stone.

All three stars have a connection to Lucasfilm. Mads Mikkelsen played Galen Erso, Jyn’s father, in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Phoebe Waller-Bridge voiced L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Harrison Ford played smuggler Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and archaeologist Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones in the first four Indiana Jones movies.

Mads Mikkelsen is the Danish actor who played Kaecilius in Dr. Strange and Hannibal Lecter in the TV show Hannibal. He will be replacing the controversial Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindalwald in the third Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It has not been revealed yet what part he is playing in the movie, although it has been suggested he may be playing a younger version of Indy, either in flashbacks or after finding the Fountain of Youth. Or perhaps he will play Rene Belloq’s son, now grown up to continue his father’s fight with Indy. Maybe he will replace Shia LaBeouf as a grown up Mutt Williams.

Harrison Ford as Han Solo, {image via Lucasfilm}

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is an English actress and writer/producer. She was not even born yet when the first Indiana Jones movie was made. She was creator, head writer and star of the popular English TV show Fleabag. She was executive producer and head writer for Killing Eve. She voices Sayan Kötör in His Dark Materials. She appeared in Broadchurch with David Tennant.

Who is Harrison Ford? If you’ve been living under a rock, you might not have heard of him, but we’re betting you already know well who he is. Although nearly 79, Ford is an excellent shape for his age. He bicycled from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas recently, over 1,000 miles, or 1.6 km. One of Hollywood’s most popular actors for forty years, he has played heroes and anti-heroes in westerns, science fiction, action-adventure, and romantic comedies.

James Mangold will be directing. He directed Logan, the final movie of the X-Men franchise, and Ford v. Ferrarri. It is being written by George Lucas, David Koepp, and Jonathan Kasdan.

Are you looking forward to Indiana Jones 5 bext year, or do you think it’s time for our favorite archarologist to retire? Let us know in the comments.

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Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions,  Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.