Who almost played the role of Indiana Jones instead of Harrison Ford?

Harrison Ford has played some of the most iconic roles in cinema, with Indiana Jones being right up there among pretty much any other character in movie history. Ford has played the role across five movies spanning well over four decades. And try as they might, he has proven irreplaceable.

The character’s origins are the stuff of legend: George Lucas and Steven Spielberg both happen to be vacationing in Hawaii when Lucas pitches his idea for Raiders of the Lost Ark; Spielberg, who had been wanting to make a James Bond film, loves the idea; together, they make some tweaks and Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. is born.

I mean, seriously, it belongs in a museum.

Ford offers the perfect balance of rugged adventureism with a know-it-all smirk that is both trustworthy and charming. And let’s be honest, he wears the hell out of that hat. But somehow, unbelievably, he wasn’t supposed to play Indy at all. What a nightmarish hellscape of a world that would have been.

Who was originally cast to play Indiana Jones?