From the start of the Indiana Jones franchise, the one character who was always there when he needed her most was Marion Ravenwood. Played beautifully by Karen Allen, Marion was the first woman that we saw as a love interest for Indiana Jones and, honestly, she was the best one of them. Maybe that’s why she came back for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and was who Indy ended up marrying. But as we explore Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, it is easy to realize that out of all the women in Indy’s life, Marion was always the best of them.
Allen’s Marion was the first woman we met in Raiders of the Lost Ark and one of the only ones who could put Henry Jones Jr. in his place. When Indy went to meet her as he was searching for the Ark, she wasn’t going to just let him finish her father’s work without her. She was feisty and wouldn’t let him walk all over her, and it was all rooted in a love that they shared for each other. From that moment on, no woman in this franchise really compared to Marion.
That’s why, after all these years, she’s still one of the best parts of the franchise, even with a small cameo in Dial of Destiny. Marion never let Indiana Jones tell her what to do, and that didn’t change in their marriage or their separation, but seeing her back by the end of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and seeing how she still holds a power over him is refreshing because that has always been their dynamic, making her the perfect companion for him.
Marion Ravenwood is a perfect match for Indiana Jones
There is a reason that not many fans love characters like Willie Scott—not because Willie herself wasn’t great, as Kate Capshaw did an incredible job in Temple of Doom. Rather, it’s because Willie’s energy didn’t mesh with Indy’s. In Last Crusade, we had Elsa. They were obviously not going to work out (and were designed not to), but it just reinforced how perfect Marion was for him. It just hurts that we only get to really see them shine in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and then for one brief moment in Dial of Destiny.
For me, a small brunette girl watching these movies as a child, Marion was always someone I connected with. So, seeing her return for Dial of Destiny with a sweet reversal if the iconic “Where doesn’t it hurt?” scene is a perfect nod to this couple who clearly have some issues to work through. All this to say that if we had a Marion Ravenwood story all her own? I’d watch it in a heartbeat.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
