Harrison Ford confirms he’s never returning to Indiana Jones

Hollywood legend Harrison Ford has confirmed he’s never returning to the big screen as Indiana Jones again.

The 80-year-old star is preparing for the release of what will be his final Indiana Jones film in June, and he asserted it’s the final film in the series.

The immensely popular film series began in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark, which saw Ford’s archaeologist-adventurer hunt for the ancient Ark of the Covenant.

Indiana Jones has taken on everything from the Nazis and Soviet KGB agents to aliens in the prequels, sequels - even TV spin-offs - over the years to become one of the most popular media franchises ever.

Now, Indy’s adventures are drawing to an official close this year, and Ford has left no room for ambiguity or interpretation over whether he’ll be back on screen as the character in the years to come.

Walt Disney Pictures/Lucas Film

"This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character,” he told Total Film magazine this month. “I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film."

Ford is aware that there is an Indiana Jones TV-show in development at Disney+ but he maintained that he will ‘not be involved in that, if it does come to fruition’.

With Indiana Jones’ swan song fast approaching, Ford looked back on making the film and said making it was a ‘joyous moment’.

He shared: "I had been ambitious to do this film for 10 years, and there finally came a time when we all committed to that. It was a joyous moment for me. I think it’s a rare situation that I find myself in.

"I’ve been able to deliver amazing films developed by Steven [Spielberg] and George [Lucas] over a 40-year period, and to end it not with a whimper, but a bang, has been my greatest ambition for this excursion."

Walt Disney Pictures/Lucas Film

Earlier this month, Disney also confirmed in a press release that the upcoming Indiana Jones sequel will be the final instalment, teasing ‘the highly anticipated final instalment of the beloved franchise’.

Director James Mangold also said in a new statement: “My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you.”

Mangold said The Dial of Destiny would debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year ahead of its wider release in June.

The Dial of Destiny hits screens on 30 June and will be released in UK cinemas on 28 June.