Now that Harrison Ford has officially hung up his hat as the iconic adventurer Indiana Jones, there are plenty of great roles in the star’s back catalog that he could revisit. Despite Ford’s Indiana Jones exit, he has clarified that he is far from finished with acting, stating “I don’t do well when I don’t have work.” While the star’s career has been defined by his two most iconic roles, the aforementioned explorer and Star Wars’ Han Solo, Ford has seen a rich and varied career, one which thrived in the ’80s and ’90s with numerous great roles across genres including comedy, thriller, action, and sci-fi.
Harrison Ford remains a bankable star, one whose attachment to a legacy sequel would certainly help get the project greenlit. However, getting Ford himself on board with a sequel would be no mean feat. The actor takes his independence and autonomy seriously and has little time for material in which he isn’t personally invested. Any potential sequel to a Harrison Ford film would need to find a way to meaningfully justify his character’s return and develop the role. Thankfully, there are plenty of Ford movies with compelling protagonists whose stories might not be over.
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5 President James Marshall (Air Force One)
Harrison Ford led one of the best action movies of the ’90s, Air Force One. Ford plays James Marshall, a Vietnam War veteran and President of the United States who springs into action when Air Force One is overtaken by terrorists. It’s a slightly absurd premise that Ford manages to sell with a gruff but undeniably presidential bearing. A contemporary follow-up to the film probably wouldn’t feature James Marshall as President, but a former President’s lifestyle takes them into high-stakes situations. It would be even more rewarding to watch Ford take down terrorists as an older, more grizzled ex-president.
4 Jack Trainer (Working Girl)
While Harrison Ford’s leading man charms have seen him play some of the most famous blockbuster roles ever, it’s easy to forget that the character has considerable comedy chops. Ford sheds his action-hero gruffness to play the strikingly charming romantic interest Jack Trainer in the romantic comedy Working Girl. Not only is the actor a delight to watch, the surge in popularity of female-led comedies starring older actors, such as Book Club and 80 For Brady, makes now the perfect time for a sequel to Working Girl. The film could catch up with Ford’s Trainer and Melanie Griffith’s Tess McGill, charting the development of their business-tinged romance through the years.
3 Dr. Richard Kimble (The Fugitive)
One of Harrison Ford’s best films sees him play a falsely accused man on the run from the law in The Fugitive. The movie boasts a thrilling plot in which Ford’s protagonist must both avoid capture and solve the murder of his wife, but the real highlight is the dynamic pairing of Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford as the pursuer and pursued. Ford’s Dr. Richard Kimble is sympathetic, tenacious, and vastly resourceful, making for an extremely engaging thriller protagonist. While The Fugitive’s plot resolves itself neatly, Kimble could always find himself on the run in a sequel, perhaps even pursued by Tommy Lee Jones once again.
2 Rick Deckard (Blade Runner & Blade Runner 2049)
Harrison Ford’s turn as Rick Deckard in the Blade Runner films is one of his most beloved roles. The original film is a sci-fi classic and its follow-up, Blade Runner 2049, is considered one of the best films of the 2010s. While Blade Runner 2049 has a sense of finality to it, there is certainly room to explore Rick Deckard’s future, since the film’s ending sees him poised to begin a new life with his estranged daughter. Ford agreed to return for Blade Runner 2049 because he loved the script and the ways it develops Deckard’s character; if another great script comes along, Ford could reprise the role again.
1 Jack Ryan (Patriot Games & The Sum Of All Fears)
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan book series has been adapted to screen several times, with plenty of big-name actors having made turns as the CIA analyst. However, the only actor with enough screen presence to have played the character twice is Harrison Ford. In Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, Ford’s Jack Ryan is a measured and cerebral spy, one who would only grow more suited to his serious bearing with advancing age. There are plenty of great Jack Ryan stories to choose from in Clancy’s bibliography, and it would be fascinating to see Harrison Ford embody a more mature version of the character.