Summary
The Indiana Jones franchise now spans five massive movies, and here are the 10 best deleted scenes from throughout the series. Due to the huge scale of Indiana Jones as well as the multiple decades that have occurred since the franchise’s inception, tons of scenes have been cut from each Indiana Jones movie, with new information being discovered about these sequences as time goes on. While there are surely still cut ideas and concepts that haven’t been talked about yet, there are already plenty of deleted scenes from across the Indiana Jones franchise that would have been fantastic to see, and these are the 10 best.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the latest entry in the iconic action/adventure franchise, with Harrison Ford returning once again as the beloved archaeologist and adventurer. The fifth Indiana Jones film adds all kinds of new twists and turns to the franchise, introducing original characters and taking the series in a direction that hadn’t been seen before. Although it seems like the Indiana Jones franchise may be over, there is actually a surprising amount of Indy content that hasn’t been seen yet. All kinds of scenes were deleted from the various Indiana Jones movies, with the fates of these 10 being tragic.
10 Indy’s Original Sword Fight In Cairo
Raiders of the Lost Ark
One of the most iconic scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark is Indy’s fight with the sword-wielding duelist in Cairo, with the final scene showing the swordsman doing some fancy flourishes with his weapon only for Indy to casually shoot him. The team behind Raiders of the Lost Ark originally filmed a much more complex scene, showing off Indy using his whip to defend himself against the sword. However, actor Harrison Ford was feeling sick on the day of filming, so director Steven Spielberg decided to add the gun gag in an attempt to wrap up filming sooner, leading to one of the most iconic moments in Indiana Jones.
Some footage of this scene can be seen here on YouTube.
9 Imam Explaining The Rules Of The Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark famously ends with the titular artifact being opened, leading to the Nazis having their faces melted due to the supernatural powers of the Ark. Indy manages to survive since he somehow knows to not look at the Ark, although how Indy knows this has never been explained. As it turns out, the scene where Sallah visits Imam originally had Imam explain the rules of the Ark to Sallah, explaining how Indy would know not to look at the Ark as well as not to touch it.
8 Sallah’s Execution
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Another scene that was cut from Raiders of the Lost Ark was centered around Sallah, and it’s a shame that it didn’t make it into the final film. The scene saw a young German soldier being commanded to execute Sallah, putting the lovable supporting character in peril. However, the soldier has a change of heart, with him deciding to spare Sallah. Although the moment was heartfelt, its connection to the main story of Raiders of the Lost Ark was pretty loose, leading to the scene getting cut for time.
7 An Explanation Of How Indy Survived The Submarine
Raiders of the Lost Ark
One of the most controversial moments in Raiders of the Lost Ark has to do with Indiana Jones’ submarine escape, but a deleted scene actually fixes this issue. In the final film, Indy grabs onto the periscope of a submarine, with him riding it to his next location. This moment doesn’t make sense, as Indy should have drowned or lost his grip when the sub went underwater. However, this cut scene explained that the vessel actually stayed above water the entire time, clearing up the plot hole that is present in the final film.
6 The Thuggee Being Awoken From Kali’s Control
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom also had a deleted scene that clears up a major plot hole, with it this time having to do with Kali’s mind-controlling powers. In the final film, Short Round seems to know exactly what to do to break Kali’s hold on Indy, but it is never explained how he obtained this knowledge. However, one cut scene shows Short Round witnessing one of the Thuggee soldiers waking up from Kali’s control after being hit by lava, giving Short Round the realization that Indy can be woken up.
5 The Lava Bridge Escape
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Another odd choice in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was to have Indy and the gang escape through the mines. After all, they got to Kali’s hideout by going through Pankot Palace and traversing a lava bridge, with the child slaves using this same path to escape. However, a cut scene showed Indy and the gang helping the children get across the bridge, only for it to collapse into lava before the team is able to cross. Thus, Indy has to use the mines to escape, with this choice making a lot more sense with the added context from the deleted scene.
4 Indy & Elsa’s Original Brunwald Sequence
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
In their attempt to free Indy’s father from the Nazis, Indy and Elsa have to sneak into Brunwald castle in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Indy puts on a fake Scottish accent in order to sneak in, although he ends up knocking out a butler and walking into the castle. The original version of this sequence was extended much more, with Indy’s conversation with the Nazis being longer as well as it showing that the duo hid the butler’s body in a sarcophagus.
3 The Berlin Airport Scene
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
The decision for Indy and his father to fly out of Germany using a zeppelin has always been weird, as it seems like it would be easier to simply use a plane. While this sequence is cool, it never quite made sense for some audience members. As it turns out, the reason for Indy and his father being on a zeppelin was actually explained in a deleted scene. The scene originally saw Indy exploring a German airport, with them hoping to buy plane tickets. However, every line was being guarded by Nazis except for the zeppelin line, causing the duo to hop on board.
2 Spalko Using Telepathy To Read Minds
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
It has long been theorized that the villainous Spalko in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull could read minds throughout the film, and a deleted scene actually confirmed this strange power. In the scene, Spalko is upset by her inability to communicate with the Crystal Skull. However, while having a conversation with Mac, Spalko answers a question that Mac is merely thinking about, demonstrating her psychic abilities. While the scene is cool, it was probably cut in order to keep Spalko’s abilities more subtle.
1 Archimedes’ Giant Boulder Puzzle
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Although not much information has been revealed about scenes cut from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, one has already been spotted. The trailers for the film feature a shot in which Indy uses his whip to dislodge a giant boulder that is sitting on a statue of Archimedes, although this puzzle doesn’t appear at all in the final film. It isn’t known why this scene was cut, but having an Indiana Jones puzzle scene that revolves around a giant boulder would have been a perfect way to bring the franchise full circle.
