After over four decades of his last excursion as the adrenaline-hungry archaeologist, Harrison Ford once again donned his iconic fedora and whip for his last hurrah as Indy Jones in the fifth installment of the franchise.
And while some of Indy’s old companions, including John Rhys-Davies’ Sallah and Karen Allen’s Marion, will be reprising their respective roles in Indiana Jones 5, celebrating Ford’s last run in the film series, many others from the protagonist’s past seem to be missing. That includes Ke Huy Quan’s beloved Short Round.
Related: All 5 Indiana Jones Movies Ranked: Does Dial of Destiny Measure Up?
Indiana Jones 5 – Ke Huy Quan’s Short Round is A No-Show
Almost forty years ago, a 12-year-old kid made his Hollywood breakthrough as the loyal sidekick of the legendary adventurer, Indiana Jones. Although Ke Huy Quan was never seen iterating Wan Li, aka, Short Round after his debut in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, he still ended up becoming a fan-favorite character in no time.
Since Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny marks Harrison Ford‘s last venture as the titular character, people had been expecting to see perhaps one of Indy’s most epic accomplices make a grand comeback in the film. But alas, Quan’s return never materialized in the script.
While part of the reason for his absence can be chalked up to a clash in schedules (Quan was busy shooting Everything Everywhere All at Once at the same time Indy 5 was being filmed), director James Mangold revealed that another major factor was that Short Round’s cameo would’ve felt completely out of place.
“At that point, I was thinking of how we could introduce Ke [Huy Quan], I didn’t have a space for another adult to come in the movie and have anything that wouldn’t be more than kind of the worst kind of cameo. Plus, he was actually shooting.”
What’s more, Mangold, 59, envisioned instilling “the energy of a young person” in the movie, and Quan, 51, has certainly left the days of his youth behind.
Sad News for Short Round’s Potential Spinoff
Quan, who recently landed an Academy Award for his exemplary performance in A24’s EEAAO, admitted on Josh Horowitz’s podcast that he’d be more than happy to reprise his role as the cherished Short Round for a spinoff; he was practically waiting for Disney and Lucasfilm to give a thumbs-up.
“If Disney or Lucasfilm ever come to me and say, ‘We want to do a Short Round spinoff,’ I’m there man! I love that character so much and it would just be incredible to revisit so many years later.”
Had The Goonies star been a part of Indy 5, it could’ve very well laid a foundation for his possible spinoff project in the future. But since Ford’s long-standing partner-in-crime is a no-go in the latest escapade, it seems less than likely for Quan to make a reappearance in a leading capacity, which ultimately makes the prospect of a spinoff go from 100-0.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is currently playing in theatres.
Source: Happy Sad Confused
