Fleabag star will not crack whip as ‘Indy’

INDIANA JONES will not become a woman, the director of a new sequel has suggested, as he quashed rumours that the creator of television hit Fleabag was set to take on the role.

Rumours have circulated that a new Indiana Jones film, shown in US test screenings, was met with horror by fans, as the titular hero was replaced at the end of the film by a female character played by Phoebe Waller-bridge, the Fleabag creator.

Director James Mangold has sought to quash speculation that Indiana Jones will be replaced by a woman, telling fans online that claims of a possible ending to the film in which Waller-bridge takes the place of the rugged archaeologist are “not true”.

Waller-bridge, 37, is set to appear in the film as Helena, the daughter-in-law of Harrison Ford’s character Indiana, and pictures were released of the Fleabag star on set.

Rumours have surfaced online regarding the plot of what will be the fifth Indiana Jones film, with some claiming that test screenings of the production featuring alternative endings were met with a “disastrous” reaction from audiences.

A rumour suggested that one ending would feature Waller-bridge’s character effectively becoming the new Indiana Jones while another hinted that through a time-travel plot the actress’s female character would somehow replace Ford’s lead character in the past.

Mangold has sought to quell talk of “awful” test screenings, and took to Twitter to address the concerns of fans. He told one that reports of these screenings were “not true” and therefore they were “not awful”.

He clarified to concerned fans on social media that “there haven’t been any screenings at all” for the film.

The speculation comes after Waller-bridge’s prominent involvement with the James Bond franchise, after she was approached to help with script, and her suggestions that a female rival could be created for the spy.