Chris Pratt Shuts Down Indiana Jones Rumor: Harrison Ford Scared Me Off for Good

Rumors surged in January 2021 that Chris Pratt would become the next Indiana Jones when it came time for Lucasfilm to reboot the adventure franchise following Harrison Ford’s legendary run. For the “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World” actor, that’s never going to happen. Pratt shut down the rumor for good during his appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.

“I don’t even know who Steven Spielberg is. Who? Steven Who?” Pratt quipped before getting more serious. “No, aren’t they doing ‘Indiana Jones’ with Harrison Ford? All I know is I once saw a quote from Harrison Ford and I don’t even know if it was really him but it was enough to scare me, that was like, ‘When I die, Indiana Jones dies.’ And I’m like, am I gonna get haunted by the ghost of Harrison Ford one day when he dies if I play…?”

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The quote Pratt is referring to comes from Ford’s 2019 interview on “Today.” The acting icon said bluntly at the time: “Don’t you get it? I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone. It’s easy.”

Ford is set to reprise Indiana Jones for a fifth time in a new film directed by James Mangold. The entry will be the first Indiana Jones movie not directed by franchise co-creator Steven Spielberg. Mangold’s film already has a June 30, 2023, release date set from Disney. Joining Ford in the latest adventure are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, Toby Jones and Antonio Banderas, among others.

Banderas told USA Today earlier this year that it was “so unbelievable” seeing Ford on set rocking his Indiana Jones costume, adding, “The first day I arrived, I was in the makeup trailer, and I turned around and there he was in the full Indiana costume with the hat and the whip. Phoebe Waller-Bridge was there with him, too, and it was so cool. I still remember the first time I saw ‘Indiana Jones’ in a theater and the crowd was crazy about it. I thought, ‘This is like going back to the old adventure (movies) in a completely different way.'”

As for Pratt, he recently topped the box office twice this summer with his lead role in “Jurassic World Dominion” and a small supporting turn in “Thor: Love and Thunder.” He also headlines Prime Video’s new action series “The Terminal List.” Pratt will be back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Star Lord in James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” set for release May 5, 2023.

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