Indiana Jones 5: Why Karen Allen was “disappointed” with Marion’s return

❘ Published: 2023-07-03T10:07:53

Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Paramount Pictures

Karen Allen has opened up about about Marion’s return in Indiana Jones 5, saying she was initially disappointed with the trajectory of her character, but ultimately embraced the decision.

Marion Ravenwood has been a big part of the Indiana Jones story. Pretty much the opposite of a damsel in distress, she was introduced in Raiders of the Lost Ark as the tough-talking love of Indy’s life.

But the character was nowhere to be seen in prequel Temple of Doom, and sequel Last Crusade. Marion did return in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, at the end of which the pair got married.

Actress Karen Allen is now talking about the character’s surprise appearance in new movie Dial of Destiny. SPOILERS AHEAD…

Indiana Jones 5: Why Karen Allen was “disappointed” with Marion’s return

Marion Ravenwood appears in a single scene, at the very end of Indiana Jones 5, and Karen Allen tells The Associated Press: “I was a bit disappointed that she wasn’t more woven throughout the story and didn’t have more of an ongoing trajectory.”

The sequence does pack an emotional punch. Indy and Marion have become estranged, following the death of their son. But when Indy has his own near-death experience, Marion returns to him, and they share a beautiful moment in his kitchen.

“The way in which she does come back into the story was very satisfying,” Allen tells AP: “I just thought, ‘OK, I’m just going to embrace this.’ I certainly would have been wildly disappointed had Marion just sort of vanished into the ether.”

Of crafting the scene in question, Allen adds: “We shot it all in one day or maybe two days. To just imagine these two people that have been wrenched apart through grief and loss and then she’s coming back with this hope that they can move forward. When we played the scene, that was very, very affecting. We were both very affected by it and a little teary. And the crew was a little teary.”

Karen Allen on keeping Dial of Destiny cameo a secret

Of having to deny her secret cameo in Dial of Destiny, Allen tells the AP: “It’s been excruciating. I never have to do anything like this again. People have come up to me and they’ve been so upset because they didn’t see my name on IMDb.

“People would be so mad I’d have to stand there and just be like, “What do I say? Do I say, ‘Yeah, isn’t that a drag?’ or ‘You never never know – wink, wink.’” I’ve had to say I just can’t answer any questions about Indiana Jones – which I feel like is sort of saying that I’m in the film. It’s a lose-lose situation.”

For more Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny info, check out the below articles: