According to BoundingIntoComics:
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold took to Twitter to bash scoopers and respond to rumors that Indiana Jones will be replaced by actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Rumors regarding Indiana Jones being replaced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character in the upcoming film go back to June 2021 when YouTuber Overlord DVD reported, “Two endings are supposedly being considered in this script. I guess they’ve been written and they are going to shoot both of them. Both endings allegedly have old Indiana Jones dying at the end of this movie.”
“But in one of the rumored endings, young Indiana Jones dies alongside old Indiana Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge swoops in like a vulture, picks the hat up, and takes his place moving forward,” he adds.
A separate rumor from The Daily Mail in September 2021 claimed, “Phoebe Waller-Bridge is being tipped to replace the veteran actor as a female version of the fictional professor of archaeology in the adventure movie franchise.”
An anonymous source told The Daily Mail’s Showbusiness Editor Katie Hind about the rumor, “It would be a huge statement, and a great role for Phoebe.”
Another source stated, “The gossip on the set is that this character will slot into the leading role.”
With the release of the first teaser trailer for the film as well as the film’s title, Mangold responded to a Twitter user referencing the rumors from Overlord DVD.
In a now-deleted tweet, the user wrote, “Well Indiana Jones and the dial of destiny looks amazing James Mangold but if Indy dies and is erased from existence with Phoebe Waller Bridge taking over then you won’t hear the end of it sir!”
He added, “I hope that doomcock dude is wrong! Just have Indy and Marion retire!”
Mangold replied, “One more time. No one is ‘taking over’ or replacing Indy or donning his hat nor is he being ‘erased’ thru some contrivance— and he never was, not not in any cut or script — but trolls will troll — that’s how they get their clicks.”
He continued, “And please don’t exhaust me pointing out how once in a while a troll is ‘right’. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now & then. All one has to do is look at set photos & interviews & u get enough info to make wild guesses about a movie plot.”
“The diff between trolling a-holes & everyone else is they r trying to make $ off your feelings about other films & culture war politics. They push contoversial guesses as coming from “sources” to gin up clicks. Let it go. END,” he concluded.
