Editing Mutt Williams

{{Rhere|Mutt|the goddess [[Mut]]}}
{{Infobox Character
|character name=Mutt Williams
|image=[[File:Mutt promo.jpg|250px]]
|gender=Male<ref name="Crystal Skull">''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]''</ref>
|birth=July [[1938]]<ref name="Ultimate Guide">''[[Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide]]''</ref>
|death=c. [[1969]]<ref name="DoD">''[[Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny]]''</ref><br>[[Vietnam]]<ref>''[[The Making of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny]]''</ref>
|nationality={{Nat-US}}<ref name="Crystal Skull" />
|profession=*Treasure hunter<ref name="Crystal Skull" /><br />
*Motorcycle mechanic<ref name="Crystal Skull" />
*Soldier<ref name="DoD"/>
|allegiances=*[[Marion Ravenwood]]<ref name="Crystal Skull" /><br />
*[[Indiana Jones]]<ref name="Crystal Skull" /><br />
*[[Colin Williams]]<ref name="Crystal Skull" /><br />
*[[Harold Oxley]]<ref name="Crystal Skull" />
}}
{{Quote|Mutt can be a little impetuous...|[[Marion Ravenwood]]|Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull}}
'''Henry "Mutt" Williams''', born '''Henry Walton Jones III''', was the illegitimate son of [[Marion Ravenwood]] and [[Indiana Jones]]. His stepfather was [[Colin Williams]], who was killed during [[World War II]]. He had at least one sibling through his father, a sister named [[Sophie]].

In [[1957]], Mutt accompanied his estranged parents, along with mentor [[Harold Oxley]] and [[George McHale]] on a quest to return a fabled [[Crystal Skull of Akator|Crystal Skull]] to [[Akator]]. Following this adventure, during which he proved his fencing skills in a sword-duel with the [[Soviet Special Forces]] colonel [[Irina Spalko]], he was present as his mother and father wed after years of separation.

However, a later conflict between Mutt and Indiana Jones led to the younger man enlisting in the army specifically to annoy his father. Mutt was [[Vietnam War|killed in action]] in Vietnam and Jones' grief almost led to Marion leaving him until [[Helena Shaw]] managed to help bring him back in both body and spirit.

==Biography==
===Prehistory===
A boy named ''Henry Jones III'' had already been envisaged by [[Indiana Jones|Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr.]]'s high-school girlfriend [[Nancy Stratemeyer]] in [[1916]] as being their first common child.<ref>''[[Race to Danger]]''</ref> However, it was not to be. Jones went to fight in the [[Mexican Revolution]] then [[World War I]] just a month later.<ref>{{YIJC|Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal}}</ref> By the time he had returned to [[Princeton]] [[1919|three years later]], Stratemeyer had moved on and settled down by marrying Jones' high school rival [[Butch]], giving him a son in the form of [[Butch (II)|Butch junior]].<ref>{{YIJC|Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father}} {{Edited Into}} ''[[Winds of Change]]''</ref>

Decades later, in 1937, Jones and [[Marion Ravenwood]] were to wed but Jones disappeared from her life a week before the nuptials under the impression that he would make a poor husband due to the long periods of time he would spend away from home for his job. He left unaware that Ravenwood did not mind his being absent for extended periods, and, more importantly, did not realize that she was pregnant with his child.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

===Early life===
Marion eventually gave birth to a son without alerting Jones the child's existence. She named the boy Henry Jones III, after his unknowing father and [[Henry Walton Jones, Senior|paternal grandfather]], a name that would not stay for long and would not be revealed to the child until years later.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Three months into her son's life, Marion began dating [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] pilot [[Colin Williams]], and would soon marry the man as well. Growing up, Henry was led to believe that Williams was his biological father. Therefore, the boy considered his last name to be "Williams."<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

[[File:Muttox.png|thumb|220px|A young Mutt with Prof. Harold Oxley.]]

At an early age, Henry befriended Professor [[Harold Oxley]], a former student (alongside Jones) at the [[University of Chicago]], under Marion's father [[Abner Ravenwood]]. Oxley, affectionately nicknamed "Ox" by his friends, became a surrogate father to Henry when Colin was unexpectedly killed during [[World War II]]. Still a child when the event happened, Henry would grow to call himself "Mutt".<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

As he matured, Mutt was forced by his mother to attend multiple schools, in order to teach him the skills and knowledge that he would need the day he finally was alone in the world. Among the skills he (reluctantly) showed proficiency at were fencing, reading and mechanics.<ref name="Crystal Skull" /> Particularly, fencing was one of Mutt's better subjects, but got kicked out from the class once it was discovered he was betting on the matches.<ref>[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (comic)|''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' comic]]</ref> This made Mutt bitter at being hindered from his one true love: motorcycles, which were also his profession as he fixed them. He managed to either quit or be kicked out of every school he attended, which considerably annoyed his mother.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

===Meeting Jones===
In [[1957]], Mutt and Marion received contact from Oxley, who claimed to have found a [[crystal skull]] and was on his way to a place called "[[Akator]]" with it. His enthusiasm convinced Marion that her old pal was mentally ill, and this seemed to be confirmed when, some time later, Ox mailed a letter composed of incomprehensible symbols and drawings. This worried Marion so much that she left for [[Peru]], hoping to find Oxley and see if he was all right.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Time went by without word from Mutt's mother. Eventually, Mutt received a phone call from Marion, who claimed that both she and Ox had been kidnapped by [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Russian]] secret agents, and that she had managed to escape. Marion was able to pass on the information that she was sending him [[Oxley's letter]] so that he could enlist the help of Indiana Jones to translate it. At that point, the line went dead as Marion was re-captured.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

[[File:MuttBike3.jpg|thumb|220px|Mutt on his motorcycle looking for Jones.]]
Deeply worried, Mutt soon received the letter, and quickly embarked to find Jones. He had been told that Indiana was some type of professional "grave robber." Arriving on [[Mutt Williams's motorcycle|his motorcycle]] at [[Bedford]]'s [[Bedford train station|train station]] just in time to see Jones boarding a train to leave the [[United States of America|USA]], Mutt shouted to the man outside the compartment window, calling him 'old man.' With mere seconds before the train would pass through a tunnel and prevent Mutt from keeping up, he desperately shouted that someone was going to kill Harold Oxley, Indy's old colleague.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

The pair went to [[Arnie's Diner|Arnie's]], a local diner. There, Mutt introduced himself, and took offense at Jones' remark concerning his name, saying it was "the one [he] picked." Mutt claimed that Oxley had helped raise him after the death of his "father," and was close friends with his mother, whom the boy referred to as Mary Williams, a name Jones did not recognize. When Indy made an off-hand remark about how he knew "a lot of Marys..." Williams reacted with fury, bolting from his seat and defending his mother, showing the deep concern and love he had for her.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

After cooling off, Mutt returned to his story. He related how Mary had traveled to Peru to find Oxley, who was going to the lost city of Akator to return a crystal skull. When Indiana explained the legend of Akator and the crystal skull, Mutt became fascinated, convinced that Ox had been on to something huge. He then pulled out the letter written by Oxley, and handed it to an equally bemused Jones.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

It was at this moment that two Russian [[KGB]] agents, who had been spying on Mutt and Indy for the last few hours, noticed the letter (their primary objective) and approached the table, demanding that Jones give them the letter. When the men threatened, "or else," Mutt took out his switchblade and challenged the agents to try anything. Unfortunately for him, the KGB had guns on their person, and Mutt and Jones had no choice but to be led out the door to avoid a public shooting.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

As they neared the exit, Jones whispered to Mutt to create a diversion by punching an [[Joe College|innocent socialite]]. This triggered the desired chaos, a fight between Mutt's fellow [[greasers]] and the [[lettermen|socialites]], which Mutt and Jones used to flee their pursuers on Williams' beloved, customized Harley-Davidson [[motorcycle]]. During the hectic chase through the [[Marshall College]] campus, Mutt watched with amazement as Jones fought off the agents, surprised by the man's excellent fighting skills despite his age.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

[[File:MuttBike2.jpg|thumb|220px|Mutt and Jones on their flight through the library.]]
Williams drove right through an anti-Communist rally taking place on the grounds of the school, and tricked one of the Russian-driven sedans into crashing directly into a statue memorial of [[Marcus Brody]], which caused the head to break off and fly through the windshield. Mutt displayed pride at his ingenuity, but when he turned to Jones to share his moment of glee, he found the professor stone-faced with disapproval.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

The second sedan then caught up to them, forcing Mutt to gun his engine once again. Jones advised that they drive right into the school, which would force the KGB to abandon their car in an on-foot chase. This worked, but as Mutt recklessly careened through the school library, Indiana chastised him for moving too fast. Mutt merely replied that it was a matter of opinion…before nearly colliding with a hapless [[Book-carrying student|student carrying a stack of books]].<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Skidding to avoid the boy, Mutt sent the motorcycle onto its side, and the pair slid under multiple rows of benches before stopping before a student. There, [[Student in Library|another student]] tried to ask his teacher a question while he was there. Jones quickly gave him some advice about archaeology as a career as Mutt restarted his bike and they drove off again. They had lost the Russians.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

===Search for Oxley===
Back at Jones' home, Mutt stood around while Jones solved the riddles from the letter. When they flew to [[Nazca]] in [[Peru]], Mutt took his motorcycle with him in the airplane. He learned to know a quite different side of Jones, no longer in his professor's garb, but as a [[Quechua]]-speaking former rider with [[Pancho Villa]]. After Jones learned that Oxley had been taken to the [[Nazca sanatorium]], the two visited Oxley's old cell, where Williams was stricken with how broken Oxley's mind had become. Jones discovered that the cell floor hid a secret, and Williams was tasked to sweep the floor clean, which revealed a map of the [[Chauchilla Cemetery]]. After finding its whereabouts, the pair drove up to the graveyard, and Williams hid his motorcycle.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

[[File:Shovelwear.jpg|thumb|220px|Mutt in the cemetery.]]

As they searched the cemetery, the pair came under attack by [[Nazca (tribe)|some masked cemetery guardians]], but Jones defeated them, using Williams as bait. Impressed by Jones' actions, Williams reassessed Jones as merely a teacher. As they discovered the entrance to an older tomb, Williams lost his cool after being stung by a [[scorpion]] and then encountering several skeletons with elongated skulls. After reaching [[Francisco de Orellana]]'s [[Orellana's grave|grave]], Williams helped to spot the wrapped corpse of the conquistador, and got stuck holding the body while Jones unveiled a [[crystal skull]] that Oxley had taken, and then returned to this spot.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

As they were leaving the tomb, a group of Russian agents captured them. The agents took them to their [[South America]]n camp, where Mutt was reunited with Marion. Oxley was also at the camp, and had been driven insane from the Skull's mystical powers. He only was able to communicate in [[Oxley's riddles|riddles]].<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

===Quest to Akator===
Mutt later created a diversion for the group to attempt an escape, but this failed. Afterwards, his mother told him that Indiana was his real father, much to his denial. The group later made another escape attempt as the convoy of soldiers ventured through the Amazon, during which Mutt fought [[Irina Spalko]] in a sword-duel atop speeding vehicles through the virgin jungle.<ref name="Crystal Skull" /> During this duel, he received a slash below his right eye.

After fleeing the Russians, the group came to the [[Temple of Akator]]. When the Crystal Skull's power was activated and a portal to an alternate dimension began destroying the city, the group fled, surviving the temple's destruction and were the only ones to witness a flying saucer lift off from beneath the ruins, disappearing without a trace.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Mutt later attended his parents' wedding. At one point he attempted to try on Indy's [[fedora]], but his father snatched it back just as it reached Mutt's head.<ref name="Crystal Skull" /> 

=== Death and legacy ===
[[File:MuttPhoto.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A photo of Mutt in uniform was kept next to an image of his grandfather.]]
Following his endeavor with his parents and Oxley involving the Crystal Skull of Akator, Mutt would occasionally join [[Indiana Jones|his father]] to help him out on searching for treasures.<ref name="IJ:TSFBT">''[[Indiana Jones: The Search For Buried Treasure]]''</ref> Mutt enlisted in the US Marine Corps during the [[Vietnam War]] to annoy his father but was killed overseas around [[1969]]. The death devastated both of his parents, but Indiana Jones, losing himself to his grief led [[Marion Ravenwood|Marion]] to consider a separation until his goddaughter, [[Helena Shaw]], helped the man find a way back. When asked what he would do if he could [[Time travel|go back in time]], rather than reliving one of his previous adventures, Jones emotionally admitted to Helena that he'd tell Mutt not to enlist so that his son would survive. A picture of Mutt in his military uniform with a folded flag were kept in his father's apartment in the time after his death.<ref name="DoD"/>

In addition to Mutt, Indiana had apparently fathered more children at some point in his life, including Mutt's sister [[Sophie]].<ref name="Vienna">{{YIJC|Vienna, November 1908}}</ref><ref name="ChinaTeleplay">{{YIJC|Peking, March 1910}} teleplay</ref> through whom Mutt had a number of [[Jones family|nieces and nephews]].<ref name="I,A1916">{{YIJC|Ireland, April 1916}}</ref>

==Personality and traits==
{{Quote|You don't have to get all sore all the time just to prove how tough you are.|[[Indiana Jones]]|Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull}}
[[File:MuttBike5.jpg|thumb|220px|Mutt Williams on his motorcycle]]
A young and rebellious teenager<ref>''[[Top Trumps Specials: Indiana Jones]]'' {{C|Card: Mutt Williams}}</ref> who preferred [[Mutt Williams's motorcycle|his motorcycle]] to his classical education, Mutt Williams never much cared for prep school life, pushing against every school he ever attended, and sought to spend his time fixing motorcycles, [[Mutt Williams's comb|combing]] his hair, and playing with [[Mutt Williams's knife|his switchblade]].<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Though he showed no interest, Mutt was known to be highly skilled in the courses he'd taken at school, notably fencing, as seen during his duel with Irina Spalko. He was also an excellent reader, as a love of books had been instilled in him by his surrogate father, Oxley.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Even the son of Indiana Jones did not see eye-to-eye with his own father. When first introduced, the relationship between Indy and Mutt was rather strained; such as the time when Mutt paid no attention to Jones' snake phobia while attempting to rescue him from a pit of sinking sand. At one point, Indy jokingly called him "Junior", which was what Indiana had been called by his father.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Mutt tended to carry a switchblade and a comb with him at all times, he also drove a customized Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He was very protective of all these items. While he was adept with flicking the switchblade around, he had never used it as an actual weapon in a fight until the attack in the Chauchilla cemetery.<ref>[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (novel)|''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' novel]]</ref>

[[File:MuttSword.jpg|thumb|x220px|Mutt Williams sword fighting.]]

Mutt used the motorcycle, switchblade, perfect hair, and quick temper as a cover-up of his own personal insecurities. He was a boy, not quite sure of himself, trying to be a man; and he felt it necessary to prove his toughness by showing off what he believed made him a man. For this reason, Mutt constantly fixed his hair, and reacted so badly to losing his bike in Peru. He would give in to his temper and make a fuss, such as when he perceived an insult to his mother from Jones at Arnie's Diner. Mutt needed everyone to know he was capable of anything; even if he was not. Such was the case with his first switchblade fight, and his first exploration with Indiana; both events which visibly terrified him, and forced him to rely on Indiana Jones, the "old man".<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Although somewhat intimidated by unfamiliar situations, such as the investigation of the Chauchilla graveyard, he retained an adventurous spirit, and was not afraid to take the first step to lead the way, even if he wasn't quite sure which way to go. At one point, Mutt initiated a half-baked scheme to escape the clutches of the Russians at the camp, only to end up recaptured. Mutt went from cowering in the cemetery to taking the first steps to Akator after the group falls into the temple of Akator.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Around 1957, Mutt was not on the best terms with his mother. However, he was still highly protective of her, both against verbal attacks and physical dangers. This was exemplified in such situations as when Mutt jumped up angrily at Indy for insulting his mother at the cafe, and when Mutt ducked over Marion to protect her while their car was being shot at during [[The Jungle Chase|the jungle chase]].<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

Mutt joined the US Army to annoy his father Indiana Jones, but died overseas, devastating his parents. Indiana admitted that if he could go back in time and change one thing, it would be Mutt's fate, showing just how much his son meant to him.<ref name="DoD"/>

==Behind the scenes==
Mutt Williams was portrayed by [[Shia LaBeouf]] in ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]''.<ref name="Crystal Skull" /> LaBeouf was Spielberg's first and only choice for the role. Excited at the prospect of being in an ''[[Indiana Jones (franchise)|Indiana Jones]]'' film, LaBeouf signed on without reading the script and did not know what character he would play. He worked out and gained fifteen pounds of muscle for the role, and also repeatedly watched the other films to get into character. LaBeouf also watched [[Wikipedia:Nicholas Ray|Nicholas Ray]]'s film ''[[Wikipedia:Rebel Without a Cause|Rebel Without a Cause]]'', [[Wikipedia:Richard Brooks|Richard Brooks]]' film ''[[Wikipedia:Blackboard Jungle|Blackboard Jungle]]'' and Benedek's ''The Wild One'' to get into his character's mindset, copying mannerisms and words from characters in those films, such as the use of a switchblade as a weapon. Lucas also consulted on the greaser look, joking that LaBeouf was "sent to the ''[[Wikipedia:American Graffiti|American Graffiti]]'' school of greaserland". LaBeouf also took to playing with the character's switchblade both on and offset.

[[File:Mutt.jpg|thumb|x220px|Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams.]]
The concept of Indiana Jones having offspring was introduced in ''[[The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles]]''. In the episode "[[Princeton, February 1916]]", [[Nancy Stratemeyer]] and Indy discuss having a child and naming him "Henry Jones III" (this scene was deleted for the VHS and DVD releases). Additionally, in other episodes, Old Indy is shown to have an [[Sophie|adult daughter]] and he mentions having children (plural) in "[[Vienna, November 1908]]". During the development of the fourth ''[[Indiana Jones (franchise)|Indiana Jones]]'' film, [[Frank Darabont]]'s script ''[[Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods]]'' reintroduced Indy and [[Marion Ravenwood]] as a romantic pairing which seeded the idea of them having a child together for other writers' attempts at ''Indy IV'' scripts. A 13-year-old daughter was considered; however, director [[Steven Spielberg]] objected to the idea, finding it too familiar an area to what he had covered with his earlier film ''[[Wikipedia:The Lost World: Jurassic Park|The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''. According to ''Crystal Skull'' screenwriter [[David Koepp]], Mutt Williams was developed by [[Jeff Nathanson]] and [[George Lucas]].

Koepp wanted to make Mutt into a nerd, but Lucas refused, explaining he had to resemble the late [[Marlon Brando]] in [[Wikipedia:László Benedek|László Benedek]]'s film ''[[Wikipedia:The Wild One|The Wild One]]''; "he needs to be what Indiana Jones' father thought of [him] – the curse returns in the form of his own son – he's everything a father can't stand". Producer [[Frank Marshall]] felt Mutt brings humor to the story because of his youthful arrogance, causing banter with the older and wiser Jones. It was long-rumored that Mutt was Indiana's son, however Spielberg dodged the idea up until the film's release, saying: "I wouldn't say it's a father-son story. The new ''Indy'' movie is about a great quest, an amazing quest — and that's all I'm gonna say".

[[File:MarlonBrando.jpg|thumb|200px|Late actor [[Marlon Brando]] was a model for Mutt's physical appearance.]]

The clothing Mutt wore was also selected to make him appear like Marlon Brando in ''The Wild One'': T-shirt, black leather [[Mutt Williams's jacket|motorcycle jacket]], gloves, and boots, dark blue jeans cuffed almost to the top of his boots, and - at his first appearance on his motorcycle - a classical [[Mutt Williams's cap|motorcycle cap]] tilted in the same way as Brando wore it in the movie. Authentic 1950s jackets were found for his costume, while Harley-Davidson provided his motorcycle.

[[Harrison Ford]] is forty-four years older than Shia LaBeouf, who was twenty-one to Ford's sixty-five. There is a difference of approximately 39 years between [[Indiana Jones]] and Mutt Williams. Indy is fifty-eight in the film, Mutt is nineteen.<ref name="Crystal Skull" />

In some action sequences, LaBeouf was doubled by stuntmen. [[Lee Morrison]] was his stunt double for some motorcycle scenes, [[Colin Follenweider]] for [[the Jungle Chase]], and also [[Casey O'Neill]] doubled him in some scenes. However, LaBeouf also acted some stunt scenes himself. When filming his duel with [[Cate Blanchett]]'s [[Irina Spalko]] character, LaBeouf pulled his hip's rotator cuff, which was his first injury in his career. The injury got worse throughout filming until it pulled his groin.

The character is generally disliked by both fans and critics, drawing unfavorable comparisons to and often considered the "[[starwars:Jar Jar Binks|Jar Jar Binks]]" of the ''[[Indiana Jones (franchise)|Indiana Jones]]'' franchise. Much criticism of the character was weighed at the performance and acting skill of LaBeouf, who apologized for "dropping the ball" in an interview while promoting [[Wikipedia:Oliver Stone|Oliver Stone]]'s film ''[[Wikipedia:Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps|Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps]]'', another sequel, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.

[[File:12inchMuttJacket.jpg|thumb|180px|12" figure of Mutt Williams by [[Hasbro]].]]

Two 3 ¾" figures of Mutt, a deluxe figure of him on his motorcycle, an Adventures Heroes figurine, and a 12" figure were released in 2008. Mutt is available in three [[LEGO]] sets based on ''Kingdom of the Crystal Skull''.

That the filmmakers chose the nickname of Indiana's son to be Mutt — a term for a mixed-breed [[dog]] — is likely a nod to Jones adopting the name of his dog, [[Indiana]], over his real name of Henry Walton Jones, Junior. Mutt's name also follows the precedent of the franchise's characters having canine related names. As with Indiana, ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]<nowiki>'</nowiki>''s [[Willie Scott]] and [[Short Round]] share their names with real-world dogs: Willie and Short Round were the respective pets of Spielberg and writers [[Gloria Katz]] and [[Willard Huyck]].

George Lucas had considered the possibility of producing a fifth ''Indiana Jones'' film starring Mutt on his own adventures with [[Indiana Jones|the title character]] in a supporting role similar to the one [[Sean Connery]] had played as [[Henry Walton Jones, Senior|Henry Jones, Sr.]] in ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]''. However, Lucas later changed his mind, stating that only Indiana Jones would be the center of an ''Indy'' picture and jokingly dismissed a Mutt feature as a spin-off entitled ''Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080829103614/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/08/05/exclusive-indiana-jones-5-wont-center-on-shia-labeouf-george-lucas-insists/ ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Won’t Center on Shia LaBeouf, Insists George Lucas] at [http://moviesblog.mtv.com MTV Movies Blog]</ref> In September 2017, Koepp confirmed that LaBeouf would not return as Williams for the fifth ''Indy'' film,<ref>[http://ew.com/movies/2017/09/04/indiana-jones-5-shia-labeouf-not-returning/ ''Indiana Jones 5'' won't feature Shia LaBeouf's character] at ''[http://ew.com/ Entertainment Weekly]''</ref> with LaBeouf indicating in February 2020 that he hadn't heard anything about the film and didn't expect to be involved in it due to ill feeling in regards to him from the production side.<ref>[https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/02/10/exclusive-shia-labeouf-is-fairly-certain-he-wont-return-for-indiana-jones-5-those-people-really-didnt-like-me Exclusive: Shia LaBeouf Is Fairly Certain He Won't Return for "Indiana Jones 5": "Those people really didn't like me"] at [https://www.showbiz411.com/ Showbiz 411]</ref> ''[[Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny]]'' director [[James Mangold]] explained in December 2022 that while LaBeouf would not return for the role, Mutt's absence would be addressed in the film.<ref>[https://ew.com/movies/indiana-jones-and-the-dial-of-destiny-james-mangold-2023-preview/ Director James Mangold teases a 'hero at sunset' in ''Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny''] at ''[https://ew.com Entertainment Weekly]''</ref>

Mutt's absence in the ''Dial of Destiny'' story was ultimately confirmed by the film itself as Mutt having been killed off during the [[Vietnam War]].<ref name="DoD" /> Mangold did consider other options as having Mutt still alive while busy offscreen, but ultimately felt "sad" mentioning a character not relevant to the picture by the protagonists, so he decided to make Mutt a "story point" to generate some drama within the present characters.<ref>[https://uproxx.com/movies/james-mangold-indiana-jones-and-the-dial-of-destiny/ James Mangold On ‘Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny’ And Why He Could Use A Glass Of Scotch Right Now] at [https://uproxx.com/ Uproxx]</ref> In spite of LaBeouf's known animosity towards Spielberg and ''Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'', Mangold didn't kill the character off because of "past studio, political intrigue" but because of his feelings that for Indy, losing his son and wife would be provide him an emotional reason to wish to stay in the past during the climax, aside that he didn't feel like the Mutt/Indy dynamic worked well before.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/indiana-jones-5-ending-shia-labeouf-mutt-williams-james-mangold-1235659773/ ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Director James Mangold Explains the Fate of Shia LaBeouf’s Character and the ‘Wild Swing’ Ending] at ''[https://variety.com Variety]''</ref> He also wanted to replicate Indy's wonderful dynamic with intrepid female characters from pre-''Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' films in the form of [[Helena Shaw]], something that he felt to work better without Williams around.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1669160395729149953 @Variety Variety] on [[Twitter]]</ref>

In September 2017, after years of complaints about the Mutt Williams character or the ''Crystal Skull'' film, writer [[David Koepp]] confirmed that the character would not return in the [[Indiana Jones 5|upcoming fifth film]]. However, how Mutt's absence will be adressed in the film is currently unknown.<ref>[http://ew.com/movies/2017/09/04/indiana-jones-5-shia-labeouf-not-returning/ ''Indiana Jones 5'' won't feature Shia LaBeouf's character] at [http://ew.com/ EW.com]</ref>

==Appearances==
[[File:Mutt promo2.jpg|thumb|x220px|Mutt in a promotional picture for the ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' movie]]
* {{YIJC|Vienna, November 1908}} {{C|Possible indirect mention}}
* {{YIJC|Princeton, February 1916}} {{Fm}} {{C|Indirect mention}} {{C|As "Henry Jones III"}}
*''[[Race to Danger]]'' {{C|Indirect mention}} {{C|As "Henry Jones III"}}
*''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]''
*[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (novel)|''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' novel]]
*[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (junior novelization)|''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' junior novel]]
*"[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (article)|Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]" - ''[[Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine]]''
*[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (game)|''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' game]] {{Fa}}
*[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (comic)|''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' comic]]
*[[Indiana Jones (game)|''Indiana Jones'']]
*''[[Indiana Jones: Traps and Snares]]''
*''[[Meet Indy]]''
*''[[Meet Mutt]]''
*''[[Indiana Jones: The Search For Buried Treasure]]''
*''[[Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny]]'' {{Po}}

===Non-canon appearances===
*''[[LEGO Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick]]''
*''[[LEGO Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Hidden Temple!]]''
*''[[LEGO Indiana Jones: Escape from the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull!]]''
*''[[LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues]]''

==Sources==
*''[[The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones]]''
*''[[Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide]]''
*[["You Call This Archeology?"]] - [[Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 3|''Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 3'']]
*"[[The Thrill of the Chase!]]" - [[Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 4|''Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 4'']]
*"[[No Time for Love?]]" - [[Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 5|''Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 5'']]
*"[[Indy's Top 10 Funniest Moments]]" - [[Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 6|''Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 6'']]
*''[[Indiana Jones Activity Annual]]''
*''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Annual 2009]]''
*''[[The Greatest Adventures of Indiana Jones]]''
*''[[Indiana Jones Annual 2010]]''
*''[[The Diaries of Indiana Jones]]''
*[[Grail Diary (prop replica)]]
*{{LF|url=news/indiana-jones-quotes/|text=40 Great Indiana Jones Quotes}}
*{{LF|url=news/real-indiana-jones-friendship-and-sacrifice/|text=The Real Indiana Jones: Friendship & Sacrifice}}

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Imdb|url=character/ch0049975/|text=Mutt Williams}}
*[http://raven.theraider.net/threads/is-mutt-in-fact-actually-alive.25229/ Is Mutt, in fact, actually alive? | The Raven (theraider.net)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Mutt}}
[[de:Mutt Williams]]
[[ru:Мэтт Уильямс]]
[[Category:American military personnel]]
[[Category:Americans]]
[[Category:Characters appearing in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]
[[Category:Deceased]]
[[Category:Jones family]]
[[Category:Swordsmen]]
[[Category:Treasure Hunters]]
[[Category:Ravenwood family]]