Was Mads Mikkelsen’s Villain In A Previous Indiana Jones Movie?

A Super Bowl LVII trailer revealed Mads Mikkelsen’s’ Voller has a history with Indy but was he seen before Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny?

One of the most highly-anticipated trailers during Super Bowl LVII was the spot for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in which Harrison Ford’s seasoned archeologist Indiana Jones seems to have some history with Mads Mikkelsen’s Jürgen Voller, but it’s unclear whether the villain was actually in a previous Indy movie. Prior trailers had shown the pair exchanging a few words, but this spot showed a de-aged Ford and Mikkelsen exchanging blows decades prior to their interactions in Indy 5. The former Nazi seems to be after the same artifact as Dr. Jones, and their journey runs parallel to the Space Race and other historical events of the ’60s.

Voller, a former Nazi turned NASA engineer, seeks to make the world according to his own design, and it will take all of Indy’s pals to stop him. Amidst new characters like Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw and Antonio Banderas’s Renaldo, John Rhys-Davies is back in Indy 5 providing some intriguing narration and helpful advice as Sallah, the “best digger in Egypt,” and one of Indy’s oldest friends. With other original characters like Sallah back in the franchise, and Voller bearing a strong resemblance to Major Arnold from Raiders of the Lost Ark, it seems like he might have shown up in a previous Indy adventure. Here’s everything audiences need to know.

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Mads Mikkelsen’s Dial Of Destiny Villain Is A New Indiana Jones Character

Though he seems like he fits right in with Indy’s previous antagonists, Voller is a completely new Indiana Jones character. Much like Cate Blanchett’s Irina Spalko from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, he never appeared in a previous Indy film but is a similarly icy villain who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The trailer does an impressive job of revealing bits of his history with Indy via flashbacks, and the scenes highlight how far Disney has come with its de-aging technology.

Mikkelsen is known for reinventing movie villains across multiple franchises, including taking on the role of the diabolical Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal, Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, and Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore. At the same time, he’s also been the first to bring villains to life like Kaecilius in Doctor Strange, making him a perfect pick for the dastardly Voller. With his brusque and reticent delivery, combined with his intimidating aura, the ex-Nazi scientist seems like a play to Mikkelsen’s strengths as an actor, particularly in malevolent roles.

How Mads Mikkelsen’s Dial Of Destiny Villain Connects To Indiana Jones’ Past

Indiana Jones has taken on Nazis several times before, including in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, so it will be interesting to see how Mikkelsen’s Dial of Destiny villain connects to Indy’s past when the movie premiers. The Super Bowl LVII spot for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is one of the best trailers of 2023 because it shows nothing but old-school Indy getting out of classic scrapes in the ’40s while trying to adjust to a modern world that’s changing rapidly around him in the ’60s.

From the brief scenes in the trailer, Voller appears in an SS uniform and has tied Indy up in ropes at one point, though the cunning archeologist, already two steps ahead of him and his goons, escapes with a few well-aimed punches. Even though Mikkelsen is brand new to the franchise, he fits right in with the Rogues’ Gallery of Indy’s many megalomaniacs. The franchise’s hero has always been made better by his eccentric villains, and Mikkelsen is going to make Voller one of the most memorable yet when Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiers on June 30th, 2023.

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