Indiana Jones 5 Could Be Doubling Down On Crystal Skull's Sci-Fi Problem

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is right around the corner, but if a popular fan theory is true, it may be doubling down on a sci-fi problem from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Not much is known about the fifth entry in the Indiana Jones franchise, with the titular artifact still shrouded in mystery. However, it seems that all the pieces are falling into place for the Dial of Destiny to be more supernatural than anything previously seen, meaning that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is repeating Kingdom of the Crystal Skull's biggest criticism.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the long-awaited revival of the popular adventure series, being the first entry since 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Indiana Jones 5 will bring back characters such as Harrison Ford's Indy and John Rhys-Davies' Sallah, while also debuting new characters such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena. Although the Dial of Destiny was shown off in the first trailer, it hasn't been explained what it does. However, a popular fan theory proposes that the Dial has one incredible ability: time travel.

Why The Dial of Destiny Could Let Indy Travel Through Time

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According to the theory, the Dial of Destiny could allow Indiana Jones to travel through time. So far, many of the artifacts in the Indiana Jones franchise have been based on previously existing supernatural artifacts, such as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail and the Crystal Skull. Because of this, it is theorized that the Dial of Destiny is based on the Rota Fortunae, a wheel from Greek mythology that allows its user to change destiny. If this is true, the Dial may give Indiana Jones the power to rewrite history.

This theory is actually supported by several moments in the trailer. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to prominently feature a de-aged version of Indiana Jones, which seem to be in the context of flashbacks at first glance. However, if the Dial theory is true, then these de-aged scenes could actually be Indy and Mads Mikkelsen's Voller traveling through time. Time travel is an interesting concept that hasn't been played with in Indiana Jones before. However, it shows that the franchise hasn't learned from the previous film.

The Dial of Destiny Could Break An Indiana Jones Rule

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One of the biggest criticisms of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was its use of sci-fi, as the film revolved around interdimensional aliens. Although the Indiana Jones series has always had supernatural elements, they have always followed a simple rule: Indy only passively interacts with it. Throughout the original trilogy, Indy only happens to run into them, but he tries his best to stay away. Indiana Jones doesn't open the Ark, he doesn't use magic, and he doesn't gain the Holy Grail's immortality.

If Indiana Jones truly chooses to travel through time (as the theory proposes), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would be breaking this rule. Sci-fi and supernatural elements are supposed to only be sprinkled into the end of an Indiana Jones film, but Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would be revolving around time travel. It's possible that the time travel could be handled well, but after the criticisms of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, having Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny double down on sci-fi is a risky potential move.