How Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny explains the absence of Shia LaBeouf's Mutt

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

When audiences sit down to watch Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny this weekend, one character will be noticeably absent from the big screen: Shia LaBeouf's Mutt Williams, a.k.a. Henry Jones III.

This in and of itself should come as no surprise — screenwriter David Koepp revealed way back in 2017 that Mutt wouldn't be in the fifth installment. This was welcome news for some fans, particularly ones miffed by the introduction of the cocky greaser in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the implication at the time that he was heir apparent to the Indiana Jones franchise moving forward.

Still, Mutt's absence in Dial of Destiny couldn't be ignored, what with his prominent role in Crystal Skull and an ending that saw Mutt's mother, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), marrying his father, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford).

Dial of Destiny deals with Mutt in a way that also explains why Marion isn't a bigger part of the narrative. Near the beginning, we glimpse divorce papers and Indy himself angrily covers up a picture of Marion, indicating an estrangement between the pair. Later, in one of the film's most emotional moments, Indy tells his goddaughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), that if he could go back in time he'd tell his son not to enlist to fight in the Vietnam War. He says he'd tell his son that he's going to die, and the resulting grief would so consume his mother and impact his father's ability to be there for her that it would end both their happiness and their marriage.

Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection Shia LaBeouf, Harrison Ford, and Karen Allen in 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'

It's not all sad news for the Jones family, however. Though the film makes it clear it's the end of the road for Mutt's character, it's insinuated that Marion and Indy might still get their happily ever after. After the daredevil archaeologist nearly loses his life in the film's climax, he awakens to find that Marion has returned to look after him. After recreating their romantic "where does it hurt" moment from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the two share a tender embrace in the film's final moments. Allen spoke to EW all about the "emotional" scene.

For more on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, as well as Ford's thoughts on the franchise's legacy and this being his final outing as the beloved character, check out EW's cover story.

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Related content:

• Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold explains the meaning of that final hat shot

• Why Harrison Ford never uses the word 'hero' to describe his characters

• Turning back the Dial: Harrison Ford examines the legacy of Indiana Jones as he caps a historic run

• Karen Allen on saying goodbye to Indy and Marion in Dial of Destiny: 'It feels complete to me'