John Rhys-Davies wants to return for Indiana Jones 5

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

When we think of INDIANA JONES we immediately think of the titular hero played by Harrison Ford, donning his iconic hat, cracking his whip and punching Nazis square in the jaw. But he had some help along the way, and one of his dearest compatriots in the fight to protect ancient artifacts is Sallah, played by John Rhys-Davies. We last saw the character in INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, but Rhys-Davies still has some fire left in him after almost 30 years and is hoping to saddle up once more for INDIANA JONES 5.

While accepting an award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards, Rhys-Davies spoke to Yahoo U.K. about how he would like to see Sallah return in the fifth JONES movie, referencing a real-life hero who was killed by ISIS for refusing to lead them to precious artifacts:

What would have happened to Sallah? I like to think that he would have been somebody like Khaled al-Asaad – that marvelous 80-year-old man who was defending his museum in Palmyra and who hid its major treasures and refused to give them over to ISIS and was beheaded in the town square. I think that’s probably how I would have seen Sallah.

The actor is referring to the 82-year-old Syrian scholar who was beheaded by ISIS in 2015 when he refused to tell them the location of Palmyra antiquities. Like al-Asaad, Sallah also put his life on the line helping Jones protect evil doers from getting their hands on artifacts. However, he understands that his character’s return may not be in the cards:

 I’d love to have one last crack at Sallah. But I understand if time has just moved on – it would be sad… Sallah is the last Arab in popular, contemporary culture, that we regard as a hero. The world has changed, and that’s a tragedy for the West and for the Arab world. Perhaps there is no place for a Sallah anymore? Although I trust that my mention of Khaled al-Asaad just reminds people that they are not all iconoclasts and that there are heroes there – real heroes, too.

We don't have many details on INDY 5, other than that Steven Spielberg and Ford are returning, David Koepp is writing the script, a 2020 release date, and that Shia LeBeouf is NOT returning  Perhaps there is still time to bring back Rhys-Davies and work him into the story. Maybe the character could die early on, giving Indy a motivation in the story. The idea Rhys-Davies had would be perfect for such a story, and seeing the character again could be a real nostalgia trip for people who love the movies. I am, of course, very game to see more Sallah, and if Ford still has the energy to punch some bad guys, so does Rhys-Davies.

INDIANA JONES 5 hits theaters July 10, 2020