Harrison Ford on Indy 5: "I ain't going to Mars."

At the Hero Complex 30th anniversary screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg added to the discussion of continuing the Indiana Jones franchise.

Moderator Geoff Boucher asked Ford if he'd be interested in returning to the character for a fifth film in the series, to which Ford replied, in his deadpan delivery:

Maybe a fifth, but I ain't going to Mars.

The audience broke into laughter and applause, but Ford seemed pretty damn serious about his answer. Not many people liked that last movie - it was clear from the actor's tone he didn't care for it too much - and even Spielberg didn't have any kind words to say about Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He spoke very highly of Raiders, though. When asked if he would change anything in the film, he responded: 

No, nothing. Of all the movies I've ever made, [Raiders of the Lost Ark] is maybe the only one I can watch from beginning to end. And watch it like an audience member, not like someone who knows what's coming next. [I can do the same thing] with The Last Crusade - those are my two favorites in the series.

But behind that gruff exterior, Ford does have love for his iconic character of Indiana Jones. He got excited when talking about the filmmaker's intentions for the series:

Next time we get a script for Indiana Jones, I'd be delighted to play the character. Each time we meet him, we wanted to advance the audience's understanding of the character, not just by putting him in adventures, but by learning something about him...that's what led to the meeting of his father [in The Last Crusade], played by Sean Connery, and his son [in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull], played by Shia, and bringing Marion back.

So there you have it - further confirmation that an Indy 5 is on the way, and when we finally see it, Ford will be wearing that iconic fedora yet again. Should Indy hop aboard a spaceship and head to Mars? Presumably the next film will take place in the 1960s, so the timing could be just right. That suggestion is a joke, obviously, but after the insanity of Crystal Skull, who knows what George Lucas could cook up?