There are moments in pop culture that just lend themselves to emotional rides and Ke Huy Quan and Harrison Ford being back together after all these years is definitely one of them. While Quan and Ford were both at D23 for their respective projects (Quan is currently not reviving his role as Short Round in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 from what I know) and while the minute that I saw Quan with Kathleen Kennedy I assumed he’d be in the cast, the new was simply that he was joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So nothing “simple” about it. Quan was at D23 to celebrate joining the second season of Loki and Ford was there to promote Indiana Jones 5.
So I was fully aware that both Quan and Ford were at D23. I was so set on there being an announcement that Short Round was making his appearance in the fifth film that I didn’t even think about how the two were both there and were going to be reuinted.
So color me surprised when I started sobbing at an image of Quan and Ford together. I fully didn’t expect to see was the two taking a picture back stage and so when Quan posted to his Instagram an image of himself and Harrison Ford after their panels with the caption: “‘I love you, Indy.’ Indiana Jones and Short Round reunited after 38 years,” I just sobbed over the relationship we could have continued to explore with Indy and Short Round throughout the years.
The images show the two embracing and it really is so sweet seeing them together again after all these years! I just wish it was happening along with an announcement that Short Round was going to be in Indiana Jones 5.
Short Round deserves more
One of the things about Temple of Doom is that it very much has not aged well. While a lot of things in the Indiana Jones movies are not exactly “great” by today’s standards, it feels like Temple of Doom is a triple whammy of things that would not fly in the modern age. And the treatment of Short Round is at the top of the list.
Ke Huy Quan performed the role in such a way though that he holds a special place in our hearts in the same way that his performance of Data in The Goonies works. That’s why Quan’s resurgence after Everything Everywhere All At Once and the knowledge that he didn’t think there was a place for him in Hollywood makes so many of us eager to support his work. I know that he was my favorite part of both The Goonies and Temple of Doom and I loved his worked prior to his return to acting and seeing him as Michelle Yeoh’s love interest in Everything Everywhere All At Once just told me I was always right for my love of Quan and his work.
Having him back as Short Round would truly be an amazing move and while we don’t have confirmation of that, we do get this beautiful image of Quan and Ford back together and that’s fine for me (for now).
(image: Lucasfilm)
