Indiana Jones’ love-interest in Raiders of the Lost Ark is the spitfire Marion Ravenwood, but what other actresses almost played the role before Karen Allen sealed the deal? Raiders of the Lost Ark is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year as the first installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, enhancing interest for the new Indiana Jones 5 premiering in 2022. The first film sees 1930’s archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) search for the lost Ark of the Covenant, recruiting the help of ex-flame Marion Ravenwood as they battle to find it before the Nazis.

Director Steven Spielberg explained he wanted Marion to be like Irene Dunne, Carole Lombard, and other leading ladies of the ‘20s who could hold their own and exhibit a toughness against their counterpart leading man. Several women were considered, but Spielberg chose Karen Allen who he felt fit the bill after seeing her in Animal House (1978). Karen Allen was even cast before Harrison Ford, performing her screen tests with Tim Matheson and John Shea who almost got the role of Indy. Allen’s role in Animal House proved that she could put her male counterpart in his place and serve as his equal rather than a point of comedy or a damsel in distress, which she executed perfectly in Raiders of the Lost Ark and again in the problematic Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

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It appears that Karen Allen was the sure winner of the role once considered, but Spielberg and George Lucas had a few other women in mind beforehand. The most rumored casting what-if for Marion is Debra Winger, who had shown her leading-lady talent in Urban Cowboy (1980) opposite John Travolta, who would go on to play Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. Winger hadn’t yet achieved the fame she would know after An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment, but her tough energy left an impact on Spielberg. According to The Independent, Winger turned down the role because she felt it was beneath her.

A few notable actresses auditioned for Marion and went pretty far into the casting process, even performing a few screen tests. The Independent reported that Remington Steele actress Stephanie Zimbalist was asked to perform a chemistry test for Marion with Indy could-be Harry Hamlin, where they were unconventionally asked to bake a cake together. Harrison Ford’s future Blade Runner co-star Sean Young also auditioned (via SyFy) and screen-tested with Tom Selleck, who was originally cast as Indy until he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Young would have made an excellent Marion with the chemistry between her and Ford, but it would have been difficult to leave the duo’s baggage of Marion and Indy when coupled as Rachael and Deckard in Blade Runner.

Another rumored possibility for Marion was actress Amy Irving, who was Spielberg’s girlfriend and future wife. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg originally intended for Irving to play Marion but, paired with the two briefly splitting up, she had scheduling conflicts that left her unavailable. Barbara Hershey was also briefly considered for Marion, though may have brought a bit too much hippie energy from her other roles than would be suitable for the character.

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George Lucas apparently wanted Marion to return for Temple of Doom but decided to make Indiana Jones a more James Bond-style character with a different love interest in every film. Considering how dedicated Karen Allen was to the Marion role, it’s best that she won it over some of the other big names of the era. She had even tried to convince Spielberg to include a backstory for Marion she had concocted, including a scene discussing Marion’s relationship with Indy when she was 15-16 years old. Considering it was revealed in Crystal Skull that Marion and Indy have a son together, it’s possible Allen will return to banter with Indy in the upcoming fifth Indiana Jones film.

Key Release Dates
  • Indiana Jones 5 (2023)Release date: Jun 30, 2023
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Jordan Williams
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Jordan Williams is a Movie/TV Feature Senior Staff Writer for Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies.

Jordan is based in Seattle, Washington and enjoys exploring the natural beauty the PNW has to offer. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having watched every film on AFI’s 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner.

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