Should the new Indy film make use of characters or stories from the Young Indy series?

Since all the major players to the film apparently want to make a fourth Indy, this poll assumes that a fourth film will be made. Consequently, no option for "I don't want a fourth film" has been included.

 

The average moviegoer would not understand a reference to "Young Indiana Jones", but the diehard Indy fans would. It would be like Coruscant and the double-bladed light sabre, two "Star Wars" Expanded Universe creations, appearing in "The Phantom Menace". I don't think "Indiana Jones IV" has to be 100% accurate in continuity with YIJ (Indy says he doesn't believe in magic in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", set in 1936, but he experiences it first hand in "Temple of Doom", set in 1935), but it would be a nice touch.

It might be good to see a few photographs in Indy's office with characters from the previous films and the YIJ series. The one YIJ episode where Harrison Ford appeared as a 1950s-era Indy had him with a beard, so seeing him with one in IJ4 would be a nice tie-in. I'd also like to see why old Indy must wear an eyepatch. Hopefully an archvillain gave Indy that injury during his final mission.

One thing that was unfortunate about YIJ's early cancellation was that later, unfilmed episodes were to be set in the 1920s, as young Indy studies archeology. One of the episodes was going to have Indy befriend a young Rene Belloq before a falling out over Belloq's methods. Presumably they were going to have Indy study under Prof. Abner Ravenwood at the University of Chicago. Just think, if the show was only continued we would have gotten more globetrotting archeology action and maybe the first meeting between Indy and Marion Ravenwood.

On that note, I heard that the author of an IJ novelization wanted to develop the backstory of young Indy and Marion. Lucas said no, as he potentially wanted to save that for a movie. Maybe IJ4 will have a young Indy flashback beginning like "The Last Crusade" did, except it is set in the mid-1920s with Sean Patrick Flannery again playing young Indy. The opening could cover his affair with Marion being discovered by Abner during an archeological dig, plus other adventurous hi-jinks. Then we cut to the 1950s, with an older Indy thinking about his past and coming to terms with his age and mortality. Marcus Brody's death could be acknowledged, and Henry Jones, sr. could be shown in ill health. Maybe Indy regrets that he and Marion were never able to work things out. Then, during the course of some adventure, Indy discovers Marion became pregnant with his child during the 1920s and gave the kid up for adoption (that is why Marion asks Indy "Do you know how you ruined my life?" in ROTLA). Indy learns Marion is dead, but he reunites with his son or daughter. This would also tie into the old Indy segments of YIJ, which showed Indy as eventually having a family.

-Dubya Fett

 

What an excellent post Dubya Fett. You make a lot of interesting points. I had no idea about the planned next season of the series. Of course, I never knew the sereies existed until I caught them on video,

I personally would love to see a flashback which utilized SPF, though I wonder if LFL would worry that he clearly isn't RIver Phoenix. Almost no one will even get who he is--despite the fact he's played Indy for a greater amount of celluloid than even Ford. Not that I really care about the rest of the audience. I want him in the damn thing!