De-aging technology has become quite the rage nowadays, especially with the work that Marvel Studios has invested to make actors seemingly play their younger selves. It doesn’t always work out, such as how Martin Scorcese‘s The Irishman featured some impressive technology, but given the actor’s age, one could tell something wasn’t right when they started trying to beat each other up. Still, it’s a fun tech innovation that has found its home in IP franchises, and it seems Indiana Jones 5 will do the same.
In a new piece by Empire, they reveal that the film’s opening will feature a flashback to the original trilogy’s Indiana Jones with Harrison Ford de-aged to look the part. Funny enough, set photos from quite some time ago did actually hint at the flashback, especially with a stunt person wearing a rather questionable Ford mask on his face. It does seem like they will swap him out once it comes to action sequences and him talking. Director James Mangold highlighted why they decided to take this route:
I wanted the chance to dive into this kind of full-on George-and-Steven old picture and give the audience an adrenaline blast.
James Mangold
He also highlights that they use the opening set piece of a castle swarming with Nazis that pays tribute to the franchise’s early beginnings, especially in how it also helps guide audiences into the 60s setting of the fifth entry.
So that the audience doesn’t experience the change between the ‘40s and ‘60s as an intellectual conceit, but literally experiences the buccaneering spirit of those early days… and then the beginning of now.
James mangold
It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how they pull it off and how it’ll tie into the overarching narrative. Whatever Indy is up to might end up inspiring the events that tie into the space race storyline we’ll see later in the film, but we can only speculate for now. Still, it’ll be a blast to see a younger Indiana Jones once again, even if it’s digital.
Source: Empire
