Indiana Jones 5 to finally answer series’ lingering question: Whatever happened to Mutt Williams

When we think back on the most awe-inspired, whip-cracking, and nail-biting scenes in Indiana Jones history, one image comes to mind: Shia LaBeouf swinging from vine to vine through the jungle. LaBeouf’s character Mutt Williams was so enjoyed by the Jones faithful that even the actor himself couldn’t help but say, “I feel like I dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved and cherished.”

Despite the world showing a great affinity toward 2007’s Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, Mutt Williams will not be returning for seconds. Nevertheless, with James Mangold’s sequel, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, coming to theaters next year, the director reassured EW that fans would finally get closure for their beloved Mutt. Rest assured: James Mangold says fans will “find out what happened” to Indiana Jones’ only child when the film debuts.

If that wasn’t vague enough, Mangold was equally coy with another pressing question: What the heck is a “dial of destiny?”

“I don’t want to give the movie away,“ he said of the mysterious dial. “But is there a relic in this movie that possesses a kind of power, or may possess a kind of power? And is it based on history and scientific speculation? Yes.”

While the title doesn’t instill much confidence, Mangold has his head in the right concerning tone. He knows that this Indiana Jones movie needs to be fun and not bogged down in family drama or whether or not Indiana should’ve passed the hat to Mutt Williams at the end of Crystal Skull.

“I am under no illusions that my job making an Indiana Jones film was to suddenly beat the humor out of it and turn it into some kind of dirge,” Mangold told EW. “I think that what we’re trying to do is balance both an accurate and realistic appraisal of where this character would be at this time in his life, and do that honestly, and at the same time, try and carry forward what the very title of our movie promises, which is a romp and a wonderful adventure with action and chivalry and escapes by the skin of your nose and ingenious solutions to diabolical problems. This is an Indiana Jones film.”

That certainly sounds like an Indiana Jones movie. We’ll see if he pulled it off when the film hits theaters on June 30, 2023.