Why Shia LaBeouf Could Never Be Indiana Jones 

Harrison Ford just didn't have the chemistry with Shia LaBeouf that he had with Sean Connery.

surprised you didn't mention Bladerunner 2049, Ryan Gosling killed that role

The Last Crusade was the perfect ending to end the original trilogy I don't know why they had to make more, it wrapped the story perfectly and that closing shot where the characters are riding into the sunset was the perfect ending.

I hope in the Dial of Destiny they mention that Mutt got married and has a family of his own. Since he never had a father growing up, he wants to be there for his child.

I always loved the ending when Mutt almost puts the fedora on, but Indy grabs it from him.

Cobra Kai is a perfect example of how to pass the torch to the next generation. They started by focusing on and respecting the old characters from the Karate Kid movies while slowly introducing likeable new characters

I'm surprised you didn't mention that Creed is the rare film that passed the torch perfectly.

Short Round should be the character Indiana Jones passes the torch to.

Most important rule of passing the torch down is not making the legacy characters look like jokes just to make the new characters look better. The new Ghostbusters movie did it pretty well

My Spanish teacher in HS would talk about his adventures all over the world, he would be a teacher so in the summer he could travel, and he had other income so he could afford it. But he always went to really remote places like the amazon jungle etc and came back and talked about seeing giant snakes etc. Really felt Indiana-Jones-ish lol

I personally think Shia as Mutt/The Next Indy would have been fine if we had one more movie for him to grow into the shoes of his father after seeing his father in action/growing to know him.

I remember as a kid and them announcing Indy 4 after Last Crusade and we all figured they would give Indy a son to pass it on. I always said Joaquin Phoenix would be a great pick. River Phoenix played young Indy and it would be a nice way to come full circle. Of course they wanted too long and no one cared.

Batman Beyond is another example of passing the baton story that works.

I absolutely loved the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

I would have liked to see a story with Short Round and Mutt-- whether that be a movie or animated movie or video game. I think the two would have done a good job of balancing one another.

Into the Spider-Verse was a pretty solid introduction for Miles Morales to the wider general audience. Granted, he had existed in Marvel Comics for years before making his big screen debut, but still...

If they actually went ahead and made a movie with Mutt as the main character, its very possible that could've captured audiences and we'd already been through a whole trilogy at this point. Yeah Mutt was introduced as a jerk but his growth into a better person and someone who would appreciate archeology like his father does, it could've been an interesting arc. And I'm sure they would've had plenty of opportunities for a team up with his dad again.

Two words: Short Round. I would 200% take Ke Huy Quan as the "new" Indiana Jones. It doesn't hurt that he's also a genuinely likable person in real life, and exactly the kind of person audiences would like to see on screen. Easy premise: "Indy, you left me in India at the end of (episode 2). I did all kinds of crazy stuff, escaped from a Japanese POW camp, but I never forgot you. I even went and became an archaeologist just like you. Let me take you on this new dig site to show you why you're wrong about everything." I would watch the hell out of that movie.

Creed is the only franchise that has done the passing of the torch correctly. Because Adonis Creed was a fully fleshed out character in his own terms, AND also gave a new sense of purpose to Rocky.

I understand X-23, but Ironheart?!

Ironheart capturing the imagination of a new audience... did we watch the same character?

Mad Max: the fury road (2015) was the most successful successor in the whole cinema history.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a *perfect* passing of the torch, giving Harold Ramis the posthumous closure he needed, and setting up the franchise for a true Next Generation arc.

Did Ironheart really capture the audience imagination?

I'd be down for a Steven Yeun centered reboot. He could pull off a Jones like character I bet.

I didn't mind Mutt Jones and I really liked Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It did still seem like an Indiana Jones movie to me.

The best example I've seen of a "passing of the torch" in film in the past ~30 years was recently with Top Gun Maverick. It was a masterclass. The next film in the franchise could literally open with Maverick's funeral, with all of the new pilots we were introduced to in the last film, and there would be total audience buy-in. Hopefully future franchises take a lesson from the Maverick playbook on how to do this properly.

well presented and well said. great watch. thank you

Controversial opinion... I'd have liked to see Mutt get his own movie. The greaser tough guy that really doesn't know much about these old things, but his dad had books about how valuable they were. Maybe he can get a nice score for a new set of wheels. But people keep telling him they belong in a museum. He's into the adventures for entirely different reasons. It's a generational sequel, not a character swap. It would've been a whole new kind of story for a whole new character for a whole new era, one that old man Indy isn't set up for.

6:58 😂 I bet 90% of the people who watched Black Panther 2 don't even remember who she is lol

The Color of Money did a good job as a "pass the torch" movie, but mostly because The Hustler wasn't really a franchise.

Why didn't they make Short Round Indiana's heir? He was already his adopted son

I would love to know what the writer’s room was like when they went from ancient, archeological adventures to aliens and sci-fi (ideas @pitchmeetings ?)

When I realized Short Round wasn’t in it I knew it would suck

They should’ve taken into consideration on how fun the Last Crusade was when Indy teamed up with his Father.

If they have to continue the Indiana Jones Movies I think the only actor I could live with would be Ke Huy Quan, he is already established and in everything, everywehre all at once he showed, that he can do action. Also he would not be a replacement but a original character. The only Problem i see is that he would appear out of nowhere again, but I think someone could figure something out.

Haven't watched the vid yet. It's just that Connery says "We named the DOG Indiana!" in Last Crusade. And Shia Labeouf is called Mutt in Crystal Skull. Never made that connection before. Probably coz I really didn't care but still... Shows SOME thought.

If they would just bring back Short Round, I'd be so much more ready to let Indy pass the torch to him - Mutt can be Shorty's Sallah or Marcus since they've established him as a bit of a doofus.

I honestly don't know anyone who really likes iron heart. It may be a thing in the comics, but they can't top Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Iron Man. He played it straight.

Passing the torch in the Indy franchise was easy, but they never thought it through. When I say Shortround, what do other Indy fans say?

Creed is probably my favorite one. Like many of the beats feel like the first Rocky movie and somehow it also feels fresh! I found myself really rooting for Adonis the whole movie! The second one isn’t as good (I heavily blame that on Ryan Coogler not being there. I think he is a HUGE reason Creed was good!) but I still found myself interested in what Adonis was going to do next

Song at the end straight 🔥🔥

Character development. . . and when characters (like Mutt) are rooted in unlikeableness, you have to give them a chance to become likable. But most audiences are too lazy to put in the effort to understand a character's growth or path from unlikeable to likeable, and just want them to be the perfect hero right off the bat, like Indy was. I loved the Indy movies as a kid, but the more I think about them, the more I wish he had more of a personal growth journey, and not just be James Bond in a hat. (Daniel Craig's bond excluded from that jokey comparison - he is the perfect example of how a character can grow whilst being an ideal hero most of the time) Last Crusade was my favorite Indy movie because having his dad around the whole time really forced him to become a bit softer in a new way. Not just the perfect hero, but also learning how to be a good son and a bit more open-minded.

A lot of you are missing the point: Mutt was supposed to be a d0uchebag. Think about it. Part of Indy's inner journey is trying to connect with those he goes on adventures with. And each time, it gets more and more difficult because the other adventurer's personalities are harder for Indy to mesh with. Mutt was supposed to be the highest peak for Indiana to climb - the most difficult bridge to gap. If he was nice and heroic and likeable and more "put-together" at the beginning, then what's the point? It would be too easy for Indy to "pass the torch" to a clone of himself. There's no opportunity for personal growth for either of them if it would be that easy. Mutt HAD to be the biggest challenge Indy ever faced. The final treasure. A son. That's the point a lot of typical gen-audience members miss. The opportunity for character development for BOTH characters is a lot stronger when the other character does NOT fit the perfect Indiana Jones mold at first. It was supposed to be a journey to create the next torchbearer, but everyone just wanted another Indiana Jones clone, or to see the old dog try and do new tricks (as we'll have in June with the FIFTH film).

I think the torch of Batman with Robin in the Nolan films was a good trope... without actually doing it

Batman Beyond is my go-to example of successfully handling this passing of the torch. The new Batman actively grapples with that legacy, even as he is very distinct as a character.

Well said, great video. Commenting for support lol

Hoping for a short round spin off myself.

The steaming pile that's about to be released will make this look like a masterpiece.

Great video. Although the community has definitely not embraced Iron Heart..

I always though Indiana Jones should have been a character that transcended the actor. Much like James Bond can switch actors in the blink of an eye and no one thinks about it twice. But now that Harrison Ford is at it again, I find it hard to believe this is possible anymore.

This is a good point and something I have an issue with in a LOT of the reboots. I'm way passed caring that it's not what I was hoping for, but it's the lack of any kind of a maturity that ruins it for me. If it's Dumb and Dumber, then okay, but I can't take a character seriously if they never take themselves seriously. It's like the character has no depth.

Great video.

I'm surprised the Bond films weren't mentioned, they've passed the torch countless times with a pretty good track record

Another example of a bad "passing the torch" was when Expendables 3 attempted to continue to series instead of closing out a trilogy. The audience was there to see these aging action actors of old perform their swan song and take their final bow before final curtain. Instead, Expendables 3 tries to pass the torch to a younger generation, but that's not why the audience is there. To make matters worse, the "younger generation" was virtually nobodies. If the "younger generation" had up and coming action stars, like a Hemsworth brother, it would have meant more, and quite possibly, may have continued the series.

When Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull first came out, I felt disappointed. But I recently re-watched the four movies and I came to the conclusion that the Crystal Skull is a very worthy sequel: it is engaging, funny, witty and dumb at the same time. Riddled with quirks. In hindsight I feel it is a perfectly natural evolution of the series and I am glad it happened. There, I said it.

"UNLIKABLE" That's a nice way to put Ray

4:34 the past tense of shine is shone here

Tron legacy is an icon of a movie and for me is so fun to watch every time. but I agree taking a big franchise and boot it up again with different and often younger generation is very hard, and I'm not sure Indiana jones with Shia lebouf managed it. you could see what they were trying to do but it didn't really stick because of how much iconic and main Harrison ford is in the movie. thats why i agree the sons character needed more depth probably for the audience to resemble with. also another interesting note is how Indiana's son grew up very different from his father but they do have the same adventures qualities, thats something that sets them apart so much but also brings them together.

Okay so trying to replace a beloved character usually isn't a good move, but lets be real here, the reason the franchise came to an end wasn't the actors, it was the piss poor excuse for writers that somehow got entrusted with the future of the story & fucked it up royally.

If they wanted to continue the story line Short Round would have been perfect

I really liked the 4th movie, maybe it's just because I love indy so much I won't care About how bad the others are.... and no one expects anyone to take Harrison role as indy but if love for someone to follow in his foot steps.

Honestly, is they were going to pass a torch, it should have been to Short Round. Short Round is grown and is a professor in Hong Kong, or Sydney or somewhere. He and Jones cross paths trying to acquire the same object. Brief conflict with each other ending when they need to join forces against a common enemy. Short Round gets the artifact, Indy marries the girl. We have another movie where they work together and Indy retired at the end. Third movie, Indy has died and leaves clues for Short Round to pursue. And beat goes on. So easy, it writes itself.

is it crazy to think that Ke Huy Quan could be the person the Indiana Jones Franchise could pivot to, to continue the franchise? Quan has proven himself to be an amazing actor and this might be the time to see his Character of Short Round, return to the franchise, granted in a more Modern interpretation away from the stereotypes of Temple of Doom. And Quan and Spielberg have kept contact throughout the years. So may be the idea has been thrown around but I would love to see Quan back with Indy, for another adventure.

Because audiences don’t want to be introduced to new characters late in a franchise who they care nothing about, especially if they undermine the integrity of the old characters. People like to talk about various isms in Hollywood, but ageism is one of the most prevalent of all of them. Female actresses can suffer from it as early as 40, but when male actors hit 60, even they are often excluded from being cast as leads. There seems to be this foolhardy notion that older actors can’t carry franchises, so younger actors have to be introduced.

Honestly I like that guy in tron make him do more things more tron damn it

Haha Ironheart managed to capture someone's heart lolz ? =D as for Indy still my fave franchise =) so I'm a bit worry about Dial of Destiny and the rumors surrounding it still can't wait to see it =)

love the everything everywhere all at once tie in to the indy story

7:00 Movie X-23, yes. Movie/Comic Iron heart, HECK no. 🤣 I don’t know much about comic X-23. Lol

CREED pulled it off quite well..

Good stuff. If you simply try to substitute one character for another, you realize that the new will never be the same as the old. But if you craft a new, deep character, the old character can simply come along and support until the new character is ready.

He was never supposed to be the new Indiana Jones. Indy snatches the hat away from him at the end as a way of saying "think again kid". Mutt was supposed to be a reflection of Indy in the eyes of his own father when he was younger. I thought Mutt was a decent character and Shia and Ford had fantastic chemistry with each other

Fury Road is a terrible analogy for passing the baton because Max has never really been the main character of his own movies. He's a transient road warrior who passes through other people's stories

Nice that you brought up Mad Max Fury Road as a “success”. Because much like having Mutt trying to replace Indiana having your titular character being relegated to a extra in a movie with his name is basically the same thing.

One thing is for certain, if a sequel absolutely HAD to happen, I'd rather Shia Labouf play new Indie versus whoever the fuck they pick in this new sequel.

The passing of the torch was handled great in Batman Beyond. First showing the original slowing and still doing the protagonist thing long after they should have stopped. Cross paths with similarly driven and much younger green horn character capable of doing the job of protagonist but lacking the skills of the original so they are guided by the original's knowledge and experience. both bringing something to the table to make one protagonist which when they are ready the new protagonist can out grow. Applying this to Indiana Jones would require a trilogy, starting with a single stand-alone movie to introduce the audience to the new likable character or pair of potential new protagonists, one for the cerebral side of treasure hunting and/or the other for the dangerous jumping running fighting side, with the first half of the movie focusing on Indy realising he can't continue as he is and getting injured, and one of the two potential protagonist bites it/breaks bad because of Indy, to really force the point. The adjustment to being the guy in the chair is dealt with in the second half while the new green horn protagonist leads the adventure with Indy in their ear. The studio needs to stick with the trilogy here, and weather the fan storm, as this time between the first and second entry is crucial. The second movie, while still paying respect to Indy with ample screen time, focuses on the development of the new protagonist and emphasises how priceless Indy's knowledge and experience is, even from the chair. and shows how the new protagonist is growing and gaining confidence and maybe growing overconfident which Indy has to reign in. A villianous foil with themes of hubris. The third movie set years later dealing with a darker tone, in a pivotal moment, Indy still suffering from the injury he got in the first entry of the trilogy pushes a dubious choice based on his older ideals that the new protagonist doesn't agree with, causing a rift between them. As a result of the experience they've gained over the trilogy the new protagonist realises they've outgrown Indy and has to say goodbye, but after they make up of course. This will close the trilogy and be the send off for Indy. The fourth film doesn't need Indy in a starring role maybe a cameo but the franchise can safely move on without him. The name "Indiana Jones" is fake anyway, so the new protagonist could adopt it to avoid the authorities while doing treasure hunting crimes in other countries which set a precedent down the line to change the protagonist again.

Instead of making a sequel from an age old franchise, they should've just make a spiritual successor film. Similar vibes, new characters, new story, etc.

I still think the best thing Indiana Jones could do is do a James Bond. New actors playing the same character in episodic non-connected movies.

the real question is why would shia want the role? People are sick of nostalgia trips and want something new, moreover the old talents associated with these cash grabs are just garbage. Shia is one of the most underrated actors I can think of and he ought to be seeking roles that showcase his talent.

i dont know if Top Gun 2 counts as passing of the torch, but it was well executed movie with the original actors and a LOT of new ones

I don't know what you mean with ghost protocol we barely spent time with any of the other characters except tom cruise

i think they should do like james bond with the character of indiana jones and just make more movies with different actors

Its crazy how everything from Star Wars to ATLA struggles at this, yet JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has an almost 40 year flawless streak.

I remember watching Even Stevens growing up and thinking Shia was the next great comedy actor. But then he only did action movies instead and became weird.

The right writing and he could defo have had the torch passed onto him.

Tron Legacy deserved way more love than it got.

X-23 oh absolutely, but Ironheart seriously? I usually agree with Nerdstalgic and this might be the first time I don't drop a like. Ironheart wasn't fleshed out as a character at all... Black Panther 2 was too messy and overstuffed to allow her to be. It has nothing to do with the actress, although she can't hold a candle to RDJ. (even if he didn't have several films to build his character) I feel like that whole aside was out of touch. I feel like one of the few people who thoroughly enjoyed Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Mutt Williams, I mean it wasn't perfect but the setting and tone made sense for the time period it was set in. It's the weakest of the Indiana Jones series, but a great time regardless and yes the fridge scene is ridiculous... but come on the entire series has leaps of logic.

Korra is another example even if im ok w tlok, aang hits different. Also, how was creed w michael b jordan?

Disney still thought „yeah great! Let’s do it all over again!“

Have you seen RRR? What is your take on the movie?

Mutt wouldnhave worked if he and indi had done more together

I don't cheer, I finally watched 2 or 3 of these movies about 4 years ago and I was like "WHY?".

2008? Time does certainly fly. That aside, I enjoyed the movie. I choose not to mind the details because there's a bliss in the ignorance. Of all the things in life to be concerned about I'm not gonna ruin an otherwise enjoyable experience with over thinking. It was new and nostalgic...plenty good for me.

This problem has such close parallels to one of my main problems with our system of resource allocation. People think they’ve deserve the success that they were born into. Any inheritance by definition is unearned, but in a society where having grown up wealthy is the greatest predictor of wealth, and those elites are the ones bankrolling and often times influencing or outright deciding Hollywood films, it makes sense that they’d belief that a character is deserving of our unearned affection just because they made them the child of a character that has earned that from us.

Should've brought back Short Round instead

furiosa character was also criticized as being too much like mad max at the time of it's release, the actual bad guys were the ones to move that film along. So if too much like the original character or too little as the original character will not sell what is there left? Answer: original characters with their own purpose and personality which might or might not cross paths with an original franchise character the the world, I've seen very few films pull this off which is why old franchises are failing.

A Good Day to Die Hard felt like an action movie that slapped the Die Hard name on it just to hold on to the rights to the IP.

I forgot about THRLE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES 😅

Please note that the SUBSCRIBE button is now different. No red button anymore.

Plus, let's face it... it's about the actors. Nobody can replace Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones (maybe after 20... 30 years vacant, I'd except a replacement in some aspect and it would go over better). Star Trek and its cast is the lone exception to doing well and honoring its predecessors. (And this under intense scruinity, myself included... but they nailed it.) So, if that is the outlier and best shot at success. I'd say wait until the collective memory of a character is kind of gone but not forgotten, and then do the movie. Just so long as the characters are written for those actors, and everything is original, as you stated. But from an actor standpoint, sometimes it's all about a guy who kills it. River Phoenix is the only guy who could play Indiana Jones as far as I'm concerned... and he's dead now. They say Bradley Cooper or Chris Pratt. But basing it on this 20 - or 30-year wait, they're out of the game. And you also have to ask yourself is it necessary? Sometimes the movie is so fantastic that it just needs to not be messed with. Indiana Jones kind of fits that bill. It's blasphemy to think of a remake to Back to the Future or Forrest Gump. Because everything about them was perfect. Sometimes things just need to be left alone. No matter how much money they can make.