Marion Ravenwood is anything but a minor character in the hearts of fans.
However, in the recent film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, it seems that Karen Allen's role has been reasonably diminished - and Allen has spoken up about her unhappy feelings about the decision.
Since this movie is actually the last instalment of the movie, fans were hoping that it would go out with a bang. Often this means revisiting all of a flick's favourite characters, if possible. With Shia LaBeouf not returning, Allen's character was the remaining member of their little family to make a comeback in the film.
Allen revealed to The Hollywood Reporter, that at one point, Marion was going to be a much more integral part of the film. Apparently, staffing and creative changes threw the whole thing off. Originally, Steven Spielberg was supposed to direct the film.
She said: "I didn’t have the opportunity to read any of those scripts, although I know that Marion was much more involved in the story at that juncture."
Disney's Peter Pan & Wendy praised for casting first black Tinkerbell in remakeWhen James Mangold was brought on, Allen thinks that the story got a shakeup that resulted in less screen time for her. She claims that Mangold hired different writers and new creatives are sure to create new ideas. She didn't really know what to expect going into the project.
In addition to new writers, Shia LaBeouf's absence from filming may have made an impact on the story's direction.
Allen said: "I mean, you could have knocked me down with a feather when I read it." She was happy with an ending where Marion and Indiana reconciled, but still was "disappointed" how this storyline affected her.
Over the years, Allen's appearances in the franchise have been spotty and all over the place. Historically, it made sense to the timeline itself, so she wasn't quite so shocked.
Allen explained: "When the fourth one came along and they went forward in time, I think that’s why it made sense to bring Marion back." She admitted, though, "it's just in a slightly different way than I had imagined."