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Indiana Jones’ son is nowhere to be found in the new film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The fifth and final film in the Indy series is hitting screens worldwide tomorrow. However, one detail has left fans wondering. In the last movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, fans met Indy’s grown-up son, Mutt, whom Harrison Ford’s character did not know existed. However, Mutt does not appear in the new film.
Who Is Indiana Jones’ Son?
As mentioned, Mutt is Indiana Jones’ son. Fans met Mutt in the fourth Indy movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Henry “Mutt” Williams, born Henry Walton Jones III, is the illegitimate son of Marion Ravenwood and Indiana Jones. His stepfather, Colin Williams, was killed during World War II.
In 1937, Jones was set to marry Marion Ravenwood, but he disappeared a week before the wedding. Unknown to him, Ravenwood was carrying his child. She eventually gave birth to a son and named him Henry Jones III. Three months after her son’s birth, Ravenwood began dating RAF pilot Colin Williams and got married to him. Growing up, the couple led Henry to believe Williams was his biological father.
At an early age, Henry became friends with Professor Harold Oxley. As time went on, Henry began to call himself Mutt. In 1957, Mutt and Ravenwood received contact from Oxley, who claimed to have found a crystal skull and was on his way to Akator with it. However, Ravenwood worried that her old pal was mentally ill and left for Peru to see if he was alright.
More to Know About Indiana Jones’ Son
After a while, Mutt received a phone call from Ravenwood, asking him to get help from Indiana Jones. Mutt goes in search of Jones, and together, they head to Nazca in Peru to find Oxley and Ravenwood. While Indy and Mutt initially clash, they soon move past their differences.
Later in the movie, Jones reunites with his lost love Ravenwood and his old pal Oxley. Ravenwood eventually tells Mutt that Jones is his birth father. Jones and Ravenwood later get married. Following the adventure with his parents and Oxley, Mutt would sometimes go with his father in search of treasures. Jones and Ravenwood later had a daughter, Sophie, together.
The concept of Indiana Jones having offspring was introduced in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. In the episode “Princeton, February 1916,” Jones and his high-school girlfriend Nancy Stratemeyer discussed having a child and naming him Henry Jones III. According to Crystal Skull screenwriter David Koepp, Mutt Williams was developed by Jeff Nathanson and George Lucas.
Why Isn’t Mutt in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny?
Shia LaBeouf portrayed Mutt Williams in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The character is disliked by fans and critics alike, often unfavorably referred to as the “Jar Jar Binks” of the Indiana Jones franchise. Labeouf’s performance and acting skills also drew a lot of criticism.
George Lucas considered producing a fifth Indiana Jones film starring Mutt on his own adventures with Indy in a supporting role, but he later changed his mind. In September 2017, Koepp confirmed that LaBeouf would not return as Mutt for the fifth Indy film.
According to Fandom, in February 2020, LaBeouf stated that he had not heard anything about the film. He also added that he did not expect to be involved in it due to the ill feelings the production team had toward him. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold disclosed in December 2022 that although LaBeouf will not return for the role, Mutt’s absence will be addressed in the film.
What Happened to Mutt?
In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mutt Williams is nowhere to be seen due to the character dying while serving his country. Midway through the movie, in 1969, while Jones and Helena Shaw discuss whether the Dial of Destiny is capable of time travel, she asked Jones what he would do with such a power. Jones states that he would “stop [his] son from enlisting.”
Jones is most likely referencing the Vietnam War, which was still being fought at the time. Jones reveals that Mutt was killed, with grief etched over his face. He reveals that Mutt enlisted to annoy him, and Ravenwood never forgave him for failing to prevent Mutt from enlisting. This led to their separation, which was shown at the start of Dial of Destiny. With Mutt gone, Helena takes up sidekick duty in this film.
