It’s been a long time coming, but Indiana Jones 5 is finally gearing up to begin production. Naturally Harrison Ford will be back as Dr. Henry Jones Jr., and earlier this month, it was announced that Solo: A Star Wars Story’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Casino Royale’s Mads Mikkelsen will be joining him. Now it’s been revealed that Mikkelsen won’t be the only participant in Indiana Jones 5 who’s caused a bit of trouble in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Thomas Kretschmann has also come aboard.
If the name doesn’t sound familiar, you’ll likely remember his character: Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, who appeared in the Captain America: The Winter Soldier mid-credits scene and the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron as the HYDRA leader overseeing the Mind Stone experiments, which notably empowered Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. While Strucker’s time in the MCU didn’t last long, Kretschmann has an opportunity to leave his stamp on another Disney-owned property. The Wrap reports that he will appear in Indiana Jones 5, although no details about his character were revealed.
Outside of the MCU, Thomas Kretschmann’s notable credits include The Pianist, 24, 2005’s King Kong, Valkyrie, Westworld and Greyhound. Like Mads Mikkelsen, Kretschmann is quite experienced playing villains, so it’s easy enough to imagine him playing someone who will clash with our fedora-wearing, whip-wielding protagonist. On the other hand, maybe Kretschmann will be an ally to Indy on his latest adventure. We shall see.
Although talk of a fifth Indiana Jones movie started happening after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s release, Indiana Jones 5 wasn’t officially announced by Disney until 2016. Rather than Steven Spielberg directing again, helming reins have been passed to Logan’s James Mangold, although Spielberg is still attached as an executive producer. Composer John Williams is also returning to score Indiana Jones 5, and Mangold said earlier this month that he was working on the script with Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, having previously collaborated with them on Ford v. Ferrari.
So right now, Harrison Ford is surrounded by new faces for Indiana Jones 5. What about familiar ones? Well, it was made abundantly clear a few years back that Shia LaBeouf won’t return, so Mutt Williams’ time in the franchise will be a one-and-done affair. Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies have expressed interest in reprising Marion Ravenwood and Sallah, respectively, but there’s been no official indication if either of them will be back. I imagine at least one established character will be back for another ride, but I’m more curious to learn how new players like Thomas Kretschmann factor into this story.
Following a series of delays, Indiana Jones 5 is on track to arrive on July 29, 2022, with principal photography expected to begin this summer. While we wait for more updates on its development, look through our upcoming 2021 movies schedule to learn what will hit theaters later this year.
