‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’ Director James Mangold Calls Leakers “Trolling A-Holes,” Claims Rumors Indiana Jones Will Be Replaced Are Not True

John F. Trent |

Dec 5, 2022

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold took to Twitter to bash scoopers and respond to rumors that Indiana Jones will be replaced by actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Rumors regarding Indiana Jones being replaced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character in the upcoming film go back to June 2021 when YouTuber Overlord DVD reported, “Two endings are supposedly being considered in this script. I guess they’ve been written and they are going to shoot both of them. Both endings allegedly have old Indiana Jones dying at the end of this movie.”

“But in one of the rumored endings, young Indiana Jones dies alongside old Indiana Jones and Phoebe Waller-Bridge swoops in like a vulture, picks the hat up, and takes his place moving forward,” he adds.

A separate rumor from The Daily Mail in September 2021 claimed, “Phoebe Waller-Bridge is being tipped to replace the veteran actor as a female version of the fictional professor of archaeology in the adventure movie franchise.”

An anonymous source told The Daily Mail’s Showbusiness Editor Katie Hind about the rumor, “It would be a huge statement, and a great role for Phoebe.”

Another source stated, “The gossip on the set is that this character will slot into the leading role.”

With the release of the first teaser trailer for the film as well as the film’s title, Mangold responded to a Twitter user referencing the rumors from Overlord DVD.

In a now-deleted tweet, the user wrote, “Well Indiana Jones and the dial of destiny looks amazing James Mangold but if Indy dies and is erased from existence with Phoebe Waller Bridge taking over then you won’t hear the end of it sir!”

He added, “I hope that doomcock dude is wrong! Just have Indy and Marion retire!”

Jonesy0091 Twitter

Mangold replied, “One more time. No one is ‘taking over’ or replacing Indy or donning his hat nor is he being ‘erased’ thru some contrivance— and he never was, not not in any cut or script — but trolls will troll — that’s how they get their clicks.”

James Mangold Twitter

He continued, “And please don’t exhaust me pointing out how once in a while a troll is ‘right’. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now & then. All one has to do is look at set photos & interviews & u get enough info to make wild guesses about a movie plot.”

James Mangold Twitter

“The diff between trolling a-holes & everyone else is they r trying to make $ off your feelings about other films & culture war politics. They push contoversial guesses as coming from “sources” to gin up clicks. Let it go. END,” he concluded.

James Mangold Twitter

This isn’t the first time Mangold has responded to rumors regarding Indiana Jones being replaced by Phoebe Waller Bridge’s character.

In the middle of November, Mangold responded to rumors about disastrous test screenings claiming that there had not been any test screenings at all.

James Mangold Twitter

He further claimed that rumors regarding Phoebe Waller-Bridge replacing Indiana Jones were “not true.”

James Mangold Twitter

He then specifically addressed Overlord DVD’s rumors telling one user, “it’s up to you who you believe — an anonymous troll named ‘basement dwell’ & ‘doomcock’ or the actual director of the film.”

He added, “No one will ever replace Indiana Jones. Not in any script. Not in any cut. Never discussed.”

James Mangold Twitter

However, Mangold already has a pension for lying when it comes to Indiana Jones. Back in July 2021 Mangold got caught lying about degrading YouTuber Matthew Kadish who expressed his concerns about Indiana Jones on Twitter.

Kadish wrote, “To anyone thinking Indiana Jones 5 might be good, just let me point out… 1. Steven Spielberg is not directing. 2. Kathleen Kennedy is producing. 3. Harrison Ford is 78 years old. 4. It’s written by Jonathan Kasdan, who wrote SOLO.”

Matthew Kadish Twitter

Mangold responded, “Thanks, Matt! 1) Keep making the world a better place crapping on things in the 1st week of production from your basement. 2) Never seen a script by Jon. Nothing against him. Just reality. Butterworths & I started from a blank page. 3) 1-3 r hugely talented & all at my side.”

James Mangold Twitter

He went on to describe Kadish as a “click baiter” and “night crawler.”

He wrote, “Thanks, Ax. I don’t mind people griping & prognosticating. But, on my watch, false info, agism & snark from so-called ‘journalists’ is gonna be confronted directly & forcefully.”

“IMO, these click baiters like to dish it out, but like night crawlers, can’t stand the light,” he added.

James Mangold Twitter

Less than a month after this exchange, Mangold would take to Twitter again writing, “Um. I never said ‘people who criticize me live in basements’. People criticize me all the time and don’t get such comments. I think you know what caused me to reply to the specific click baiters the way I did. And I have said I am sorry if, in my anger, I spoke too broadly.”

James Mangold Twitter

Kadish reacted to Mangold’s lie and spin writing, “First thing Mangold said to me was that I was a basement dweller.”

Matthew Kadish Twitter

Not only is Mangold willing to lie about something this minor, YouTuber Yellowflash notes, “We’ve seen this before. We saw it with Kevin Smith and Clownfish TV. Clownfish TV came out and said He-Man’s barely in it and he’s not going to be the main hero. That’s going to be Teela.”

“And Kevin Smith was like, ‘I wrote or supervised the script and directed it. If anybody knows it’s me and that’s not true! He-Man is a major part of the story’ or whatever he said. I don’t remember the exact quote, but basically he was lying. And guess what? Clownfish TV got vindicated,” he stated.

Yellowflash then notes, “He’s lost all of his credibility because of that show. The same is going to happen to you if this is fake, James Mangold.”

The YouTuber then opined, “But the reason he’s out there making these kind of tweets is because of the fact that well, there’s a lot of credibility that this is true and that trailer confirmed it.”

What do you make of Mangold’s comments regarding the rumors? Do you believe him?

NEXT: ‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’ Trailer Makes A Mockery Of Title Hero, Seems To Forget Events Of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ And ‘The Last Crusade’

More About:Movies