The trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny features a lot of new faces joining the returning characters from the long-running franchise. Fifteen years after the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the fifth installment in the series now finds the title character in his 70s. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is said to be the final film in the 42-year-old franchise. Or, it’s at least expected to be Harrison Ford’s last portrayal of the role of archeologist-adventurer Indiana Jones, as he travels the world, solves puzzles, and retrieves lost artifacts one more time.
Taking place in 1969, The Dial of Destiny will see Indiana Jones continuing his career as a college professor, but he has seemingly hung up his hat and whip and given up daring adventures. The first trailer includes images that call back to memorable moments in previous movies, such as the car chase in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the fight on top of a train in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Audiences are also given a sneak peek at the fresh and familiar faces that will accompany Indy on his latest quest. Here’s a guide to all the new and returning characters appearing in the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Indiana Jones
The hero of the franchise, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), is a professor of archeology who, following in his father’s footsteps, takes a keen interest in mythical stories and artifacts of various cultures. A college professor by day and a thrill-seeker by night, Indy travels the world retrieving and archiving strange artifacts. Officially named Henry Walton Jones Jr., he took his nickname “Indiana” from a beloved childhood pet dog.
Formerly a womanizer, Indiana Jones was known to find and befriend lovers on his various adventures around the world, but he has since settled down and wed Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), the mother of his long-lost son. She appeared in the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the fourth installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but neither she nor their son, Mutt Williams (Shia Labeouf), is returning for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, begging the question of what happened to them and to Indy since getting married to Marion.
Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir
Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir (John Rhys-Davies) first appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark as Indiana Jones’s close friend and companion on his first adventure to find the Ark of the Covenant. He helped Indy navigate the local landscape of Egypt, introducing him to people who hold the answers to the pieces of the puzzle and arranging his transportation. Sallah returned in the third movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, helping Indy with practical arrangements again, allowing the hero to focus on solving the puzzle of the Holy Grail.
In the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, it is revealed that John Rhys-Davies’s Sallah will return to the franchise one more time. He is heard reminiscing to Indy about the adventures they took together in the previous Indiana Jones movie, foreshadowing another pair-up between the two on an epic escapade.
Helena
The trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny introduces Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) as Indy’s goddaughter. Despite her evidently close connection to Indy, Helena is a completely new character in the Indiana Jones universe. Seeing as Indy’s son, Mutt Williams, was introduced to the series similarly out of the blue in the fourth movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, this sudden introduction of a new crucial character is not a new concept in the franchise. Not much is known about Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena, such as how she came to be Indy’s goddaughter, how she is possibly related to the other Indiana Jones characters, or how she found herself entangled in his newest adventure.
Jürgen Voller
Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelson) is an ex-Nazi official who is now working for NASA on the Apollo Moon-landing program. Mads Mikkelson, who portrays the character in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, told Empire magazine that Voller is “a man who would like to correct some of the mistakes of the past.” Presumably, he means those of the Nazi regime — the longtime nemesis of Indiana Jones.
Unfortunately, the way to Voller’s redemption lies in “something that could make the world a much better place to live in,” which both he and Indiana Jones “would love to get [their] hands on.” Hence, the race to acquire the latest mystical artifact in the Indiana Jones franchise. Having changed his views since his career as a Nazi villain, Voller may become a helping force to Indy in the grand scheme of things. Or, on the flip side, his personal moral compass may become his downfall.
Klaber
Klaber (Boyd Holbrook) is, in the actor’s own words to Empire magazine, Voller’s loyal but “crazy lapdog.” In the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Klaber is seen firing a gun into the air and riding a motorcycle stolen from the New York City Police Department, racing a horse-riding Indy through the streets to an unknown location. As with the case of Voller, it is yet unknown whether Klaber’s character will ultimately be a villain or simply passionately misguided.
Basil
Basil (Toby Jones) is another companion of Indy’s who makes a very brief appearance in the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Indiana Jones is now much older, as is Sallah, and the latter has become less agile compared to his prior appearance, in The Last Crusade, and is much less likely to keep up with the former physically. Therefore, Basil will fill in the role of the boots-on-the-ground sidekick, alongside Indy and his goddaughter, Helena.
Mason
Mason (Shaunette Renée Wilson) is a U.S. government agent who takes an interest in Indiana Jones as he embarks on his newest adventure. Initially unsure of Indy’s motives, Mason will likely be persuaded into helping the movie’s hero elude Klaber and Voller’s pursuit and become another trusted companion to the fearless archeologist. Furthermore, the character’s addition in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will help contextualize the political zeitgeist of 1960s America in regard to civil rights, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War.
Antonio Banderas’ Unknown Character
Finally, the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer features a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from Antonio Banderas’s mysterious character. While little is known about the role — even his name is yet to be revealed — Banderas did share a bit of information about what’s apparently a rather minor part to Collider: “My character is very little; it’s almost a cameo[…] He’s just a friend of Indiana’s character, and he’s looking for him because he needs something from his friend. But he just takes up very little time of the movie.”