Fresh from reprising his iconic Han Solo role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Harrison Ford also looks set to return as Indiana Jones in the near future. The veteran actor shows little sign of calling it a day on a sparkling acting career and Disney have made it clear that they want him to don his trademark fedora once more as Dr Jones on the silver screen.
Critically acclaimed Star Wars comeback
Ford received plenty of plaudits for his acting in his latest Star Wars outing, with the UK critics being particularly keen to praise the 73-year-old American.
After a career spanning six decades in the movie business, his name has featured in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. Many fans also still fondly recollect his part as Rick Deckard in the dystopian science-fiction movie Blade Runner in the early 80s.
Injuries battled back from
Despite serious health setbacks in the past he continues to bounce back. During filming for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1983 he herniated a disc in his back. However, after a successful operation back in America he returned to the set just six weeks later.
He even damaged his ankle on the set of The Force Awakens in 2014, with doctors fearing that he may have broken it. Yet the tenacious Ford returned to complete filming after treatment.
Aviation incidents
In his private life he has also flirted with danger, with his love of aviation putting him in peril on several occasions. In 1999 he was believed to have been piloting a helicopter which crashed in California, although both he and his instructor walked away from the incident without injury.
Perhaps of more concern was a serious plane crash last year involving the actor, which resulted in a number of major injuries including a broken pelvis and a broken ankle.
You can’t keep a good man down for long though and he now seems to be back to decent health and looking ahead to future projects.
Financial success from last ‘Indy’ Film
He starred in the previous outing for “Indy” in 2008 in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which wasn’t universally well-received by critics and audiences despite the film casting Ford alongside Karen Allen once again.
However, with John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Cate Blanchett adding to the star-studded line-up, financially it grossed $786 million worldwide to indicate the enduring appeal of the franchise.
Disney want Ford to return
Disney bosses certainly seem to have few doubts about the future, with the next instalment already in development. Franchise producer Frank Marshall confirmed that unlike the approach for the long-running James Bond film series, “we’re not going to call somebody else Indiana Jones.”
It had been rumoured in some circles that Shia LaBeouf may have been lined up to step up and take over, but clearly Ford’s presence remains integral to the role. For now at least, it appears that Indy’s son will have to bide his time a little longer.
