Is the character of Indiana Jones inspired by James Bond? 

Many of you have gotten to know about the field of archaeology from the very popular Indiana Jones movies. Well, that totally makes sense. After all, the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Jr., the fictional professor of archaeology, are extremely engaging, to say the least. The first in this movie series appeared in 1981 with the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Its fifth sequel Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is currently under production, all set to release in the end of 2023. Ever wondered, who inspired the character of Indiana Jones? Well, there are a few theories behind it. Let us find out the possible inspirations behind this character.  

Machu Picchu 
While George Lucas, the creator of Indiana Jones, has never really confirmed who his inspiration was while developing this much-loved on-screen archaeologist, majority believe that it was Hiram Bingham III. Bigham was a professor of history at Yale University alongside being a politician and an archaeological explorer. He is best remembered as the person who discovered the lost citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru. He even wrote about his adventures in the bestselling fiction called The Lost City of the Incas in 1948.  

The creator’s pet dog 
Not many know but the character of Indiana Jones was originally named Indiana Smith after George Lucas’s pet dog of the same name. It was an Alaskan Malamute, a large hound-like sled dog who lived through the 1970s. But the surname Smith didn’t resonate well with Steven Spielberg, Lucas’s long-time friend and producer of the Indiana Jones franchise. This is when Lucas randomly suggested Jones as an alternative and it just stuck. Many believe that Indiana Jones’ formidable character was a tribute to the dog who had a strong personality of its own.  

James Bond 
Another school of thought suggests that Indiana Jones is vastly based on James Bond as its maker George Lucas was fond of the character. For him, Bond, the British secret agent, was the epitome of a real-life, strong-jawed hero and needed an American equivalent. Many believe that with the fun and adventure of Bond in mind, Lucas went on to create Indiana Jones. What helped more was the fact that Lucas was close to Sean Connery who portrayed one of the early versions of James Bond. 

Professor Challenger 
People remember Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the creator of one of the most famous fictional sleuths, Sherlock Holmes. But guess what? There are other characters under Doyle’s hat that deserve attention too. One of them is Professor Challenger, the protagonist of the 1912 novel The Lost World. There’s a theory that says George Lucas was a huge admirer of Doyle’s works, which is why he based Indiana Jones on Professor Challenge, the dominating, hot-tempered and arrogant man who specialised in the field of anthropology and zoology and solved mysteries.