Indiana Jones: Fans Weren't Prepared For How The Franchise Wrote Off Shia LaBeouf In Dial Of Destiny
Contains spoilers for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"
Amidst the car chases and aerial fights, the emotional center of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" involves seeing Indy (Harrison Ford) look back on his life and feel nothing but regret. He's separated from Marion (Karen Allen), and as the audience learns later, his son, Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), died after enlisting in the army. The information is relayed in a news broadcast initially, but Indy breaks down later while speaking with Wombat (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) about how he would be there for his son if he could go back in time.
It makes sense for the series to write off LaBeouf in some capacity. The character wasn't exactly well-received in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," and the actor's legal troubles, including violence toward his ex-partner FKA Twigs, likely sealed his fate that the "Indiana Jones" franchise wanted nothing to do with him moving forward. While Mutt's absence may have been expected, how it was handled surprised some fans.
Redditor u/_Comic_ pointed out how the movie did something mature by making Mutt's death integral to the plot, "I feel like everyone was expecting some throwaway line to write him out of the movie, but nah, Indy's son is f***ing dead and he blames himself. Yeesh." It led to one of the most emotional moments in any "Indiana Jones" movie, with u/KyloZae pointing out, "Harrison killed when he described what happened with him and Mutt." It gave the entire film greater gravitas and a stellar Harrison Ford performance.
It isn't the first time a Shia LaBeouf character has been killed off-screen
Due to Shia LaBeouf's legal problems and general fall from grace, it may not come as a surprise that this isn't the first time one of his characters has been killed off. The actor starred in the first three live-action "Transformers" movies as Sam Witwicky. He was replaced as the protagonist by Mark Wahlberg's Cade Yeager, starting with "Age of Extinction." It's implied in "The Last Knight" that Sam Witwicky is dead, but it's not given anywhere near the weight Mutt has in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
Mutt may have died a while ago, but it still clearly impacts his father. Harrison Ford gives an incredible performance when talking about how Mutt died; as u/Sandblaster1988 wrote, "Emotionally, the melancholy and grief resonated and he conveyed it very well on the ship. He wasn't excited that he escaped Voller on the ship. The man has survived long enough that he is still losing the few remaining allies and loved ones he has, questioning his place in the world and what does he have to lose." For u/Gold-Patience9259, it ranks up there as one of Ford's best performances: "I think it's one of the best performances he's ever given tbh he was so good in this. It's a shame the movie couldn't match his level consistently."
Mutt's death impacts Indy's outlook on life and was responsible for the dissolution of his marriage with Marion. When he wants to stay in Archimedes' time, it's heartbreaking to watch because he thinks he truly has nothing waiting for him in 1969. Mutt may not have been a fan favorite, but at least he helped make Indy a fully-rounded character in "Dial of Destiny," playing in theaters now.