In Indiana Jones 5: Why Ke Huy Quan's Short Round Should Return - Collider

It almost feels poetic that Ke Huy Quan made his immaculate return to the silver screen at the same time that Disney is nearing the end of production on Indiana Jones 5. Before Quan's most recent revival, starring in the hit indie film Everything Everywhere All At Once, he was best known for his youth roles in classic '80s movies like The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In the latter, he played Short Round, the titular hero's fast-talking, magnanimous 9-year-old sidekick. While Short Round is a beloved fixture of the 1984 film, he never returned for later Indiana Jones movies.

Likewise, modern audiences have recently come to see the character in a more critical light. Rewatching Temple of Doom, it is hard to overlook the way writers used Short Round as a stereotypical Chinese side-character. He is comical, rash, and deeply subservient to the American Jones, perpetuating some of the film's outdated orientalism and white-savior themes. Perhaps this is why the character was excluded from the series' later installments. Nevertheless, now that Disney is producing more Indiana Jones movies and Quan has returned to the spotlight, Lucasfilm has the ability to change this. Rather than hide from Short Round, the franchise has the unique opportunity to bring him back and reintroduce the character not just as an adult, but as a figure that is celebratory, sophisticated, and redeemed.

In Temple Of Doom, Quan plays Short Round with dignity, making him endearing throughout. At the same time, though, the script often has him speaking broken English, making dense comments, and expressing an over-the-top happy-go-lucky reverence for the lead character. Given that this happens in a movie that also endorses a rather narrow depiction of India, and very much glorifies its Western hero as he saves an underdeveloped Eastern village from a vague spiritual danger, it's difficult to not notice some of the film's overall chauvinism bleeding into Short Round. Quan does immense work for a child actor, but even so, it feels somewhat tarnished by the movie's ignorance.

In reality, Short Round could make a far more compelling character than he is. In Temple of Doom, the only real background that Indy gives about his relationship with Short Round comes in a scene where the two play cards over a campfire. He explains that he caught Short Round trying to pick-pocket him in Shanghai and that Short Round's family died in the Japanese bombing of the city, leaving him orphaned at a young age. Expanded Indiana Jones lore such as the Temple of Doom novelization further explains that Short Round's real name is Wan Li, that his parents worked in a steel mill, and that he learned English in a Christian mission before encountering Dr. Jones. This little information already suggests a huge amount of untapped potential for the character. If explored further, his tragic background could have a complex relationship to his positive demeanor. Similarly, his status as an orphan could unravel something deeper about his esteem for Jones. In a different world, one could even imagine Short Round being a lead character of an equally enticing film.

Moreover, the fact that all of this occurred before Temple Of Doom suggests that Short Round must have experienced more in his childhood than most do in their entire lives. Also, the fact that he's never even mentioned in any of the other Jones movies —Temple of Doom being the first chronologically — raises the question of what kind of life he grew up to have. Did he continue adventuring, like he did with Jones in his boyhood? Did he move to the United States? Did his situation improve as he grew up? Furthermore, why did Jones never mention him again? Did the two have a falling out? All matters of representation aside, these are questions that fans would be curious to get answers to. Despite being a cute character, Short Round did not go the way of the Gungans, the Ewoks, or some of George Lucas' other cheesy creations. Fans still adore him, and would be ecstatic to see more of him on screen.

Furthermore, if Short Round got more screen time, and if he was depicted with greater cultural sensitivity and grace, it could make Indiana Jones more accessible to a wider audience. Like many blockbusters to come out before the modern era, the original Indiana Jones movies — and even 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull —had an overwhelmingly white cast and a Eurocentric focus. In the Jones franchise, there is even a trope of people-of-color occupying non-speaking roles and serving as obstacles that the hero must overcome (or sometime intrude upon) to loot them of their treasures.

Short Round is therefore a fortunate anomaly in the sense that he gets lots of lines and has a legitimate impact on the narrative in Temple Of Doom. If brought back with increased elegance, he could thus be an anchor of diversity and inclusion, allowing more moviegoers to see themselves in the series. After all, Quan clearly champions such positive portrayals of Asian-Americans, given his affirming role in Everything Everywhere All At Once and his upcoming participation in the adaptation of Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese. Disney also has made strides to diversify, as seen in their recent Star Wars and Marvel content, so one could imagine that their upcoming Indiana Jones movies will follow suit.

indiana-jones-and-the-temple-of-doom-ke-huy-quan-kate-capshaw — Image via Paramount

As of right now, few plot details are known about Indiana Jones 5, but several cast members have been revealed. With the exception of Harrison Ford reprising the lead, it currently seems like the cast is predominantly made up of newcomers to the franchise. Happily, the lineup does have some diversity, with stars such as Antonio Banderas and Shaunette Renée Wilson set to appear in the film. Unless there is an unexpected reveal, though, Ke Huy Quan might not get his reprisal as Short Round this time around.

Nevertheless, Disney has hinted at more Indiana Jones movies beyond the fifth installment. If that comes to fruition, there could be many opportunities for Short Round not just to return, but to reenter Indiana Jones as a character that is both comfortably familiar, yet progressively developed for a wider, more inclusive modern audience.

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