Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones

[Skywalker]

If Indiana Jones were appearing for the first time ever now, who would be the best actor to play the part?

I'm thinking Hugh Jackman.

Bingo. Exactly who I'd pick.

 

[Captaindemotion]

He'd be my second choice after Nathan Fillion. As well as looking a bit like Ford and having played a Han Solo-esque character in Firefly, Fillion shares with Ford the ability to look like he really has taken a punch. A definite Dr Jones quality!

 

[Kryton]

I wonder if John Hillerman would have been Marcus Brody?

 

[Cicero]

He'd be my second choice after Nathan Fillion. As well as looking a bit like Ford and having played a Han Solo-esque character in Firefly, Fillion shares with Ford the ability to look like he really has taken a punch. A definite Dr Jones quality!

I don't know that I'd buy him as a UChicago history and archaeology professor, though.

 

[John Picard]

In an alternate universe, Tom Selleck, star of Magnum PI, is allowed by CBS to star in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Does the film and character become nearly as popular?

No. He's done a better job at westerns than he would have as Indiana Jones.

 

[A beaker full of death]

There was an episode of Magnum that was an homage to Raiders. I remember Magnum complaining, "Why do I have to wear this hat??"

 

[Captaindemotion]

He'd be my second choice after Nathan Fillion. As well as looking a bit like Ford and having played a Han Solo-esque character in Firefly, Fillion shares with Ford the ability to look like he really has taken a punch. A definite Dr Jones quality!

I don't know that I'd buy him as a UChicago history and archaeology professor, though.

He was convincing enough as a doctor in the last season of Desperate Housewives, I thought. Even if he basically turned into Mal Reynolds in the season finale, lol!

 

[Good Will Riker]

Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones would have been akin to Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. Outside of their associations with those popular franchises, most of the public would generally not flock to the theatres to watch their films.

 

[Cicero]

He'd be my second choice after Nathan Fillion. As well as looking a bit like Ford and having played a Han Solo-esque character in Firefly, Fillion shares with Ford the ability to look like he really has taken a punch. A definite Dr Jones quality!

I don't know that I'd buy him as a UChicago history and archaeology professor, though.

He was convincing enough as a doctor in the last season of Desperate Housewives, I thought. Even if he basically turned into Mal Reynolds in the season finale, lol!

The problem is that I've known too many UChicago professors. Ford I buy as one, Fillion I don't. If he were supposed to be a professor at some other school, it just might work.

 

[AJBryant]

You can see from this picture from that ep. what he would've looked like as Indy.

Cool... there's Indy, Marion, and Marcus....

 

[Captaindemotion]

^I'd say that Selleck must have been totally gutted when making that episode ... Interesting to see that pic - really adds to the 'what might have been' feel.

 

[Good Will Riker]

^I'd say that Selleck must have been totally gutted when making that episode ... Interesting to see that pic - really adds to the 'what might have been' feel.

On the contrary, it appears more likely that the writers wrote this episode for Selleck for him to "get it out of his system" and move on.

 

[Mike Farley]

The problem is that I've known too many UChicago professors. Ford I buy as one, Fillion I don't. If he were supposed to be a professor at some other school, it just might work.

Well then, it's a good thing Indy actually teaches at MARSHALL College not UChicago.

 

[DWF]

^I'd say that Selleck must have been totally gutted when making that episode ... Interesting to see that pic - really adds to the 'what might have been' feel.

On the contrary, it appears more likely that the writers wrote this episode for Selleck for him to "get it out of his system" and move on.

It came towards the end of the series so I think they were just having some fun and letting us see what he might've looked like had he been cast as Indy.

 

[Australis]

Think i reads somewhere Indiana was modelled on Bogey's character, Fred C Dobbs, in 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre'.

 

[Cicero]

The problem is that I've known too many UChicago professors. Ford I buy as one, Fillion I don't. If he were supposed to be a professor at some other school, it just might work.

Well then, it's a good thing Indy actually teaches at MARSHALL College not UChicago.

Oh. I haven't seen Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so I wasn't aware of this development. (Apparently Marshall College was developed for the first novelization, and had been all but forgotten until the production of the fourth film.) Chicago had very enthusiastically embraced Indiana Jones, so I'm sorry to hear about Marshall.