Will Lucas DeShia INDY 5?? Or At Least Go Shia Lite??

Merrick here...
Shortly before the release of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, George Lucas discussed the possibility that Shia LeBeouf's Mutt Williams character would become the lead character in INDY 5, with Harrison Ford's 'Indy' taking an involved back seat. in this dynamic, Ford would become more like the Sean Connery character in LAST CRUSADE, chasing lead Shia around on adventures. Some felt that Lucas 'must' be joking with his comments, although we've had multiple confirmations on the matter from spies, etc. - which means the notion was being discussed before Lucas' comments were ever made public (article HERE). Not surprisingly, this notion was wasn't well received throughout the fan base, and Mutt himself was poorly regarded by many viewers. Annnnndddd...now comes word that Lucas may be reconsidering making making Shia the lead in INDY 5.

“Indiana Jones is Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones,” Lucas said, dismissively adding about a character he helped create that, “If it was Mutt Williams it would be ‘Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis’ or something.”

..says Lucas in THIS INTERVIEW over at MTV. In the piece, Lucas also says he's working to find something for Indy & Co. to pursue in a fifth installment. Lucas isn't clear about to what extent Shia would appear in the theoretical fifth film (or if he'll be disappeared like Short Round), and doesn't discuss factors leading to the apparent resizing of LeBeouf's role.