The multitalented Phoebe Waller-Bridge will appear in Indiana Jones 5, but, though her role is yet undisclosed, a look back at the franchise might provide clues as to what character she'll portray. The long-gestating sequel to 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has endured several setbacks since its initial announcement in 2016, but the recent casting additions of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen are a good indicator that Spielberg, Mangold, Kennedy, and company are on track to get Indy 5 in the can. In the interim, fans will be left to speculate as to what role the writer-actress will occupy.
Between 1981 and 1989, Indiana Jones became a fundamental figure of the adventure genre by way of his exciting exploits in three movies, each with its own collection of side characters to accompany the core cast. In 2008, the whip-cracking archeologist made a triumphant return to the big screen, introducing Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), his son with Raiders of the Lost Ark belle Marion Ravenwood, to the Indy lineage. This character seemed primed to pick up the Indy mantle in any subsequent releases, but though Spielberg and company have continued to push towards production on the franchise's fifth feature, LaBeouf looks to be out.
Enter: Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The quippy, versatile, prolific talent from England would make for a fresh and exciting successor to Harrison Ford's aging legend. With LaBeouf unlikely to fill the post himself, Waller-Bridge gives the franchise another candidate to explore, with plenty of runway available for future projects. While Kathleen Kennedy announced Indiana Jones 5 as being "the next and final installment" in the Indy lineup, Disney CEO Bob Iger left the door open for a return to this IP, clarifying Indiana Jones 5 would be followed by "a reboot of some sort." Waller-Bridge is well-prepared for carrying the weight of an Indiana Jones-sized IP, having almost singlehandedly brought her one-woman show Fleabag to fruition, featured in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), and punched up the screenplay for No Time To Die (2021).
In looking at Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it may be possible to gain even more insight as to her upcoming role. The fourth big-screen Indy adventure saw the writers revisiting former characters and their descendants. The film explored Marion Ravenwood and her relationship with Indy, introducing a son to the canon, thereby creating a new character with verifiable ties to the core cast. In that spirit, perhaps Waller Bridge's character will take the form of some descendant of existing characters: Indy's daughter, a Brody, an Oxley, etc. There's no shortage of heroes or sidekicks whose blood could flow through her veins.
Alternatively, she could just as easily fall on the other side of the aisle. There's every chance she's aligned with the villains of Indy 5, as the franchise has demonstrated a willingness to use compelling female characters as antagonists. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade had Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), and Crystal Skull had Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). Waller-Bridge's versatility could lend itself to another of the franchise's enjoyably watchable villain performances.
Then again, all this discussion could be moot. Phoebe Waller-Bridge could be playing an entirely new character for an Indy sequel of an entirely new generation. Given her track record, whatever role she ends up in will almost surely be a highlight of the upcoming film. Only time will tell what Indiana Jones 5 has in store for the English multi-hyphenate, but rest assured there's plenty of reasons for optimism.
