Does anyone know why she either opted out of futher Indiana Jones films after Raiders or perhaps they wanted to do the James Bond route with different women for every film? Back then, Hollywood was a bit anti-woman in that regard. Name 10 action film sequels where the leading lady actually returned, for example.
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shareshe was too difficult on set while she was younger. Frank Marshall gave interviews about this before in a very subtle way...
sharePerhaps they wanted to do the James Bond route with different women for every film?
That's exactly the reason they had different women in each film.
So, they should have a different woman in Indy 4, instead of Karen Allen, then.
Btw,Cate Blanchett won't count, because she is the villain in Indy 4.
Karen Allen wasn't in the other Indy movies because she didn't want to be. It's that simple.
shareSpielberg wanted her back but George Lucas didn't, Lucas never handled leading womans parts very well. All about the action and technology, low feeling side.
shareIn an interview I saw, the directors and producers said that they had already decided that each INDIANA JONES film would have a different love interest for Indy, even thought they wanted Karen Allen back. Plus, after RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, the 2 following films were prequels. In RAIDERS, it is mentioned that Marion and Indiana had not seen each other for 10 years. Therefore, it would not have made sense if Marion were to return to join Indiana. But, happily, someone had suggested that they bring the character of Marion Ravenwood back for the fans in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
shareI think there was still something else going on behind the scenes to help explain why she didn't appear in further Indy films until now and her not wanting to do further Indy films wasn't one of them. I distinctly recall reading stuff in the press in the time between Raiders and the start of filming of Temple of Doom that Allen was asking for more money etc so they (Lucas and/or Spielberg) dropped her from consideration. I wouldn't be surprised at all that Spielberg and/or Lucas in later interviews would try to spin any issues with Allen to their advantage and paint a different picture of what really happened.
I wonder if the interview you saw was on the Raiders DVD, because Spielberg said basically what you mentioned the "directors and producers" said about he and Lucas coming up with a concept like the Bond series with different female co-stars next to (Ford) Indiana Jones. But nowhere in that interview on the Raiders DVD do I recall him saying they wanted Allen back, but maybe I'm mistaken. I think he's just covering his ass and being diplomatic about it now. It seems to me that the huge, and surprising (so Spielberg and Lucas claim) success of Raiders of the Lost Ark with the terrific performance by Allen with Ford and their great chemistry should have immediately put any thoughts of a different female co-star in the next film on hold. A sticky point like you mentioned about Marion appearing again in the prequel could have been worked around. As it turned out Temple of Doom while not as bad as some fans seem to think sure could have used both Allen and screenwriter Kasdan again. Too bad they waited so long to return Marion.