‘Indiana Jones 5’ Star Shaunette Renée Wilson Asked for Script Changes Over an ‘Offensive and a Bit Problematic’ Scene (EXCLUSIVE)
SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot developments in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which is now playing in theaters.
Shaunette Renée Wilson (“The Resident,” “Black Panther”) landed the role of a lifetime when she was cast opposite Harrison Ford in his final “Indiana Jones” film.
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Wilson was hand-picked by director James Mangold to play Agent Mason in the major summer release. After a Zoom meeting with Mangold, she was cast and didn’t even have to audition, but when she received the script, she wanted to implement some changes.
“I was so jazzed,” Wilson tells Variety recalling her first reaction to receiving the script. “I was quite impressed by a lot of things, but I also had thoughts and wanted to make input about my character in particular. And the brilliance and wonder of James Mangold is his ability to collaborate, and he heard me out and he was very honest about it and took what I said and it was implemented in rewrites. That has been a wonderful part of this process — to actually be able to feel like you are integral and you have a point of view when it comes to what’s being written.”
Wilson spoke to Variety in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” had its world premiere, when she was honored at Variety‘s party with the Golden Globes as a breakthrough artist at the festival. (Due to the spoilery nature of her interview, Variety opted to publish this piece after the film was released in theaters.)
“Well, I don’t want to spoil too much, but my character had a particular way of exiting the film,” Wilson told Variety. “And initially I found it to be a little too offensive and a bit problematic, and I was like, ‘We probably don’t need to say these words or have it done this way, and this is something I’m uncomfortable with.'”
Praising Mangold’s collaboration, Wilson added, “He was like, ‘You know what, you’re completely right, I hear you. That’s something I flagged as well.’ And we were able to work on that.”
Variety has reached out to Disney and Lucasfilm, as well as a representative for Mangold, for comment regarding the script changes.
Reminiscing on her initial meetings for the film, Wilson says, “Funny enough, I didn’t audition for this at all. I literally just had a meeting with James. He sent me the script, they were like, ‘Read this script, see what you think.’ Obviously, it’s ‘Indiana Jones,’ so I was going to do it no matter what.”
In “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Wilson’s government agent character is shot dead by Nazi-turned-NASA-scientist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen). Set in 1969, the film follows Indiana Jones (Ford) and his goddaughter (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) who are on a mission to locate a device that could change the course of history, before Mikkelsen’s villainous character can get to it himself and change the outcome of World War II so the Nazis reign supreme.
Speaking at Cannes where the film premiered, Wilson was raving about her time on the film and working with the entire case. “I’m obviously in a wonderful group with Harrison Ford, this being his final ‘Indiana Jones,’ and having my stamp in history. And working alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, it’s been quite incredible just to be part of that.”
When asked what she learned from working with Ford, she said, “Have fun. You’re never too old to have fun. His inner child is always at play. He loves the craft so much and loves what he does.”
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