Warning: This post contains spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s early version had a more substantial focus on Indy and Marion Ravenwood’s relationship. The fifth Indiana Jones film was originally going to be helmed by Steven Spielberg, who directed all the previous Indiana Jones movies. When James Mangold became the director, he brought in writers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth as they reworked the script to become the movie that is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
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In an interview with Variety, Karen Allen shared that when Spielberg was still going to be the director, early conversations about the movie indicated that her character Marion was have a more central part of the story. This was one of many changes that occurred when Mangold and his team took the movie in a different direction, although Marion does appear at the end of Dial of Destiny. Read Allen’s comments below:
“When Steven was going to direct the film, I think the scripts were more focused on an Indy/Marion story. But when Steven stepped aside and James came in, he started fresh with new writers and they just went in the direction they went in. They were going to tell a different story. That’s not to say that I had ever read a script that Steven was working on, because I hadn’t. But I just knew from conversations that we’d had that the ongoing story had involved Marion in a much bigger way than the story that they ended up with.”
Should Marion Have Had A Larger Role In Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny?
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One of the challenges that Mangold and the Butterworth brothers likely encountered was how to bring Marion back without simply retreading the character’s return in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. That movie already told the story of her coming back into Indy’s life and them getting married and having their happily ever after. Another challenge likely had to do with Shia LaBeouf’s character Mutt Williams, Indy and Marion’s son. Harsh reception toward Mutt’s character, along with LaBeouf’s legal troubles and the controversy surrounding him, meant there was little to no chance of bringing back Indy and Marion’s son.
A solution was found by revealing that between Crystal Skull and Dial of Destiny, Mutt enlisted and died during the Vietnam War, with the tragedy driving Indy and Marion apart and leading to their divorce. Even though Marion doesn’t appear until the final scene, the impact of these family losses weighs heavily on Indy throughout the story. It would’ve been great to feature more of Marion, to see who she has become since Crystal Skull and how she’s dealt with Mutt’s death in her own way, but it wouldn’t have fit the story Mangold wanted to tell.
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Marion needed to be absent to tell the story of a broken Indy who begins to heal and find himself again through his adventures with his goddaughter Helena Shaw. Indy’s character development and saving Marion for the end made their reunion in the final scene more impactful. Marion is integral to helping Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny end on a hopeful note emphasizing that no matter how many times Indy, Marion, and other heroes get knocked down, they can always find a way to get back up.
