Summary:
- A big mystery in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is why Indiana Jones keeps calling his goddaughter ‘wombat’ throughout the film.
- Is it a reference to her archaeological background or just a cute nickname Indy gave her as a child?
- While a speculation for a spin-off series for Helena is in speculation, Dial of Destiny is surely the definitive end for Indiana Jones.
As the curtain falls on the Indiana Jones saga, Dial of Destiny offers a poignant and satisfying farewell to Harrison Ford’s legendary adventurer.
Although the film has been criticised for its bloated runtime and the overuse of CGI, the chemistry between Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been praised by audiences and critics alike.
However, Helena has been dubbed as ‘wombat’ by the protagonist throughout the film, leaving fans a little confused.
The reason behind Helena’s nickname ‘Wombat’ in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny could be because of Helena’s family tree of renowned archaeologists (who love digging). However, it can also be something as simple as Indy calling his goddaughter ‘Wombat’ out of love.
In this article, let’s discover the latent meaning behind this seemingly weird nickname.
In the film, Helena is Indy’s estranged goddaughter, a con artist who initially acts as a ‘pseudo-villain’. However, the plot directs them to work in tandem, and they develop a tender father/daughter dynamic by the film’s climax.
Helena also acts as the perfect cushion for Indy’s distraught emotions after the offscreen death of his son, Mutt.
Coming to the article’s main point, Indy calling Helena ‘wombat’ is a running gag throughout the film. While the story never explains the wombat conundrum, it feels like an itch you can’t scratch for the die-hard Indiana Jones fans out there.
As a matter of fact, there aren’t enough similarities between a wombat and Helena (unless she also takes two weeks to fully digest her food!)
However, the nickname could be a very subtle reference to the fact that she belongs to a family of archaeologists and likes to ‘dig deep’ like a wombat! Of course, it might just happen that the reason runs no deeper than the fact that Indy calls her wombat out of love.
The article could end right here, but for a little extra, let’s dig up the Indiana Jones archives to look for other past animal nicknames of iconic characters.
A distinctive feature of the franchise is the use of animal names for the main characters. The Last Crusade revealed that Indiana got his badass name from the Jones’ family dog.
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull named Indy’s son “Mutt,” which hinted at their blood relation and Mutt’s multiple father figures, like Professor Ox (John Hurt) and Indy himself.
Similarly, Dial of Destiny continues the trend with Helena being named ‘wombat’ because she is shown as the daughter Indy never had.
While we keep speculating a spin-off series for Waller-Bridge’s character, Dial of Destiny is undoubtedly the end of the road for Indiana Jones. Therefore, fans should keep any hopes for a ‘Wombat Woman and her Search of Atlantis’!
What do you think about the entire Indiana Jones franchise? Comment your favorite film of the whole series down below!
About Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is an upcoming American action-adventure film and is the fifth and final installment of the Indiana Jones film series. The film is directed by James Mangold, who co-wrote the script with Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth.
In 1969, Indiana Jones lives against the backdrop of the Space Race. Jones had started to feel doubts when the U.S. Government recruited former World War II enemies in their desperation to beat the Soviet Union out in the competition to make it to space. His goddaughter, Helena, accompanies him on his journey. Meanwhile, Voller, a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the moon-landing program, wishes to make the world a better place as he sees fit.
Harrison Ford will reprise his role as Indiana Jones, joined by Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renee Wilson.
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