John Krasinski’s new movie Fountain of Youth is interestingly the second time the actor has tried to replace a character originally played by Harrison Ford. After the release of the first trailer for Fountain of Youth, it was obvious that the film was clearly inspired by Indiana Jones. This isn’t necessarily an issue, as Indiana Jones doesn’t have a monopoly on the adventure genre. In fact, I want more adventure movies that are similar to Indiana Jones. However, reviews for Fountain of Youth are unfortunately quite disappointing, with Screen Rant’s own Alexander Harrison giving it a 5 out of 10.
Even though Fountain of Youth has a great cast and is directed by Guy Ritchie, it hasn’t resonated with critics or audiences. The film, which premiered on Apple TV+ on May 23, 2025, attempts to be a globe-trotting adventure movie but ultimately falls flat. It may include some fun sequences, but I was mostly left feeling underwhelmed by the end of Fountain of Youth. Furthermore, Fountain of Youth proves that Krasinski never should have tried to replace Indiana Jones, one of Ford’s most iconic characters.
John Krasinski’s Fountain Of Youth Is A Clear Riff On Indiana Jones
Unfortunately, Fountain Of Youth Can’t Live Up To Indiana Jones
In the new Apple TV+ movie, Krasinski plays archeologist and explorer Luke Purdue, who is hired by a rich businessman to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. To accomplish this, he recruits his sister, Charlotte, who is very reluctant to join the mission. While Charlotte has left the explorer’s life behind, Luke is driven by his desire to find hidden treasure and uncover the secrets of the world. The film explores how treasure sometimes isn’t meant to be found and how Luke’s quests can often lead to death and evil forces being unleashed into the world.
This is an idea that is also explored throughout the Indiana Jones franchise. Based on the premise of Fountain of Youth, it’s clear that it was heavily inspired by the Indiana Jones movies, which featured Ford’s iconic character traveling the world in search of lost artifacts and hidden treasure. Krasinski’s character in Fountain of Youth, in particular, is very similar to Indiana Jones since he is clearly very reckless and impulsive, which consistently leads to him ending up in dangerous situations.
Fountain Of Youth Isn’t John Krasinski’s First Time Trying To Replace A Harrison Ford Icon
John Krasinski Also Plays Jack Ryan
Since Luke Purdue and Indiana Jones are such similar characters, it’s not a stretch to say Krasinski was likely trying to replace one of Ford’s most iconic roles with Fountain of Youth. After all, since 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was Ford’s final time playing the whip-wielding explorer, there is now a chance for a new actor to rise up and be the new king of the adventure genre. Unfortunately, since Fountain of Youth is quite underwhelming, that likely won’t be Krasinski.
Thankfully, Krasinski’s Jack Ryan show has been received much better than his new adventure film, and the actor will even play the character in an upcoming movie.
However, this isn’t the first time that Krasinski has served as a replacement for a role originally played by Ford. Since 2018, Krasinski has played Jack Ryan, a popular character who was originally portrayed by Ford in 1992’s Patriot Games and 1994’s Clear and Present Danger. Of course, there’s a slight difference here since Krasinski isn’t playing Inidana Jones exactly in Fountain of Youth, but the inspiration is obvious. Thankfully, Krasinski’s Jack Ryan show has been received much better than his new adventure film, and the actor will even play the character in an upcoming movie.
Fountain Of Youth Proves John Krasinski Wouldn’t Be Right For An Indiana Jones Reboot
Harrison Ford Is A Difficult Actor To Replace
While Krasinski has found success by playing Jack Ryan for the last several years, Fountain of Youth proves that he shouldn’t be Ford’s replacement for a potential Indiana Jones reboot. An Indiana Jones reboot hasn’t been confirmed, but it could possibly happen since Dial of Destiny saw Ford’s version of the character go on one last adventure. If the iconic adventure franchise is ever rebooted, it would be incredibly hard to choose Ford’s replacement.
This isn’t to say that Krasinski is necessarily bad in Fountain of Youth. As is seen in the Jack Ryan series and movies like A Quiet Place, Krasinski is a great leading man. However, he doesn’t quite have the same charm as Ford. Luke Purdue in Fountain of Youth just isn’t as likable as Indiana Jones, which proves that Krasinski wouldn’t be the right pick to replace Ford.
