Indiana Jones 5: A Sequel to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?

Producer Frank Marshall made a lot of fans very nervous this week when he said that the upcoming installment in the Indiana Jones franchise would be a continuation of the story begun in the franchise's fourth installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Given that the earlier film is widely reviled by fans, the hope was that the new film would stay as far away from the Crystal Skull as possible.

There's still room for hope, however. When Marshall said during a press event that the new film would be a "continuation" of the Crystal Skull story, he likely meant only that the new film will continue in the same timeline as the previous film and not be a prequel or reboot of any kind. There's no indication that Shia Lebeof, whose role in Crystal Skull was broadly unpopular, will be involved in the new film. And although Crystal Skull writer David Koepp is on board for the new film, co-creator George Lucas, who is co-credited with coming up with the Crystal Skull story, seems to be sitting the new film out.

The best news to come from Marshall is that the role of Indiana Jones will not be recast, and Harrison Ford will continue to be the one and only actor to carry the story forward. That still leaves room for another actor in another role to be the focal point of the new film, though.