The Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) marked the beginning of the Indiana Jones movies. They’re about an archaeology professor named Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford. George Lucas is the franchise’s creator, and Steven Spielberg directed the first four films.
Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf, was introduced in 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as a 1950s greaser, but he is now absent from the fifth film. LaBeouf left Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) probably due to his negative comments about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In a 2010 talk with Los Angeles Times, he said the movie didn’t meet expectations.
Shia LaBeouf took responsibility for the disappointing Indiana Jones movie directed by Steven Spielberg, and for this reason, his character was removed from the sequel. While being in a big blockbuster movie is a dream for many actors, LaBeouf appears to regret his part in the action-adventure film Indiana Jones.
Shia LaBeouf Swears Off Big Studio Films After Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Shia LaBeouf didn’t feel Kingdom of the Crystal Skull met his expectations. Even though it made money, critics had mixed opinions on the Indiana Jones movie. LaBeouf was in the camp that felt Spielberg’s direction didn’t match the franchise’s best work.
“I feel like I dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved and cherished.”
LaBeouf believed his acting couldn’t bring Crystal Skull to a level that would satisfy most people. He said:
“You get to monkey-swinging and things like that and you can blame it on the writer and you can blame it on Steven [Spielberg, who directed]. But the actor’s job is to make it come alive and make it work, and I couldn’t do it. So that’s my fault. Simple.”
Because of LaBeouf’s erratic behavior towards the film, it became clear that Mutt wouldn’t be in Indy 5, which was also true. In 2017, Koepp told Entertainment Weekly, “Harrison is Indiana Jones, that’s for sure. And the Shia LaBeouf character isn’t in the movie.”
LaBeouf also promised to avoid big studio films after his remarks. Following Crystal Skull, he did only two Transformers sequels in his filmography. After that, he mainly acted in smaller projects.
Shia LaBeouf Disappointed Harrison Ford Because of His Constant Rant About Indiana Jones
Shia LaBeouf shared that Harrison Ford told him privately that he wasn’t happy with Crystal Skull, either. Still, Ford didn’t agree with LaBeouf publicly sharing his thoughts about the fifth sequel of Indy 5. Ford once told Detail:
“I think I told him he was a f***ing idiot. As an actor, I think it’s my obligation to support the film without making a complete ass of myself.”
LaBeouf regretted belittling the Indiana Jones sequel, especially after realizing he’d disappointed his idol. He said that it brought him freedom by having an opinion about the film, but by doing so, he dashed the hopes of the person he looked up to the most (here, LaBeouf was talking about Ford).
The fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise was released exclusively in movie theaters on June 30, 2023. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is available on Disney+, Paramount+, and Apple TV.
Source: NME
