Can Chris Pratt Pull Off Indiana Jones?

Reactions to casting rumor pour in
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 28, 2015 10:29 AM CST
Can Chris Pratt Pull Off Indiana Jones?
Does this look like the face of Indiana Jones to you?   (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

As you may have heard, Disney is reportedly considering a revival of the Indiana Jones franchise, and Chris Pratt is the rumored frontrunner for the title role. Mike Fleming Jr. called it a "helluva good idea" when reporting the rumor in Deadline yesterday—Pratt is, of course, pretty hot right now after roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie and an upcoming Jurassic World gig—but not everyone is so sure:

  • "Replacing Harrison Ford is a tall order. Just like it would be impossible to replace Han Solo with another actor, I’m not sure even the very funny and talented Mr. Pratt can fill Ford’s shoes when it comes to the Indiana Jones franchise," writes Erik Kain at Forbes. While some heroes, like Batman, have already been played by multiple actors, Indy is "indelibly tied to Harrison Ford."

  • Pratt "would bring a definite vulnerability to the role that certainly wasn’t present in Harrison Ford’s version of the character," writes Kyle Anderson at Nerdist. "What made the first three Indy films so much fun was the fact that the character of Indiana Jones is kind of an a-hole, and also a murderer. (Of evil people, though, so it was OK.) He was like a 1940s, American James Bond."
  • Meredith Woerner at io9 certainly has no doubts, though. "Could Christ Pratt be the next Indiana Jones? We certainly hope so, because THAT IS JUST PERFECT. SOLD. YES. *MAKE IT SO GIF HERE*," she writes.
  • "Look, we’re of the mind that there doesn’t need to be another Indiana Jones movie. ... The original trilogy is doing just fine thankyouverymuch," writes Mike Sampson at ScreenCrush. But if one has to happen, "you really couldn’t ask for a better star than Chris Pratt. He’s funny, charming, handsome, smart, and can throw a good punch; basically, he’s a young Harrison Ford. (So much so, that [his Guardians' character] Star-Lord felt very much like a Harrison Ford archetype.)"
  • At Bustle, Kadeen Griffiths has nothing against Pratt as Indy, but wonders: Why can't we "consider an actor of color for Indiana Jones?"
Click for 5 movie reboots or remakes that could be a disaster. (More Indiana Jones stories.)

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