Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny: 22 WTF Moments

15. Mutt Died In Vietnam & Ruined Indy's Marriage

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Harrison Ford
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Given the divisive reception to Indy's son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, many wondered how the character would be dealt with in this movie, especially given that James Mangold confirmed that he wouldn't be physically returning in the sequel.

Ultimately, it's revealed that Mutt died in the Vietnam War after enlisting to piss his father off, and Marion's subsequent inconsolable grief caused her marriage to Indy to break down.

That's... a totally unnecessary bummer, right?

Why not simply mention that Mutt's off on his own adventure or just don't even mention him at all? Killing him off felt needlessly miserable at best, mean-spirited at worst, and placed a needlessly bleak cloud over the rest of the movie.

In the very least, Mutt's death does give Harrison Ford one of his finest acting moments in the film, as he expresses his deep desire to turn back time and stop his son from enlisting.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.