Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott)

Character Analysis

Speaking of buddies, Indy has one at home, too. Marcus Brody lies somewhere between stalwart companion and father-figure. Indy's had a shortage of those since his mentor, Abner Ravenwood, disowned him. His actual dad doesn't show up until the third movie, which just leaves Marcus to fill the role.

Officially, Marcus seems to be a liaison between Dr. Jones and the museum he sells his ill-gotten artifacts to. "The museum will buy them as usual, no questions asked," he casually mentions early on, suggesting that he's been pimping Indy's bling for a long time. He does so stateside too, where it's nice and safe. Even here, before his misadventures in The Last Crusade, Marcus doesn't strike us as a field man. So while Sallah helps Indy out where things are hairy, Marcus does it from the comfort of an office: filling out the paperwork and doing all the other safe, boring things that swashbuckling archaeologists aren't supposed to do.

Beyond that, they're clearly fast friends despite their difference in age (Denholm Elliot was twenty years older than Harrison Ford), and while Marcus speaks to Indy in an advisory fashion, it's as a friend rather than an elder or superior. It's obvious he cares about Indy very much, however, and that he's willing to voice concerns about his safety just before Indy goes off.

In terms of the Hero's Journey, that makes him a surrogate for Refusal of the Call (see our "Hero's Journey" page for more details). While Indy doesn't say no to the Call, Marcus is there to voice those concerns. "It's like nothing you've ever gone after before!" he tells Indy, signaling that the Ark may be a lot more dangerous than most dusty trinkets. Marcus's gentle companionship makes him the perfect person to voice them, and who else but Marcus could make sure they're heard in just the right way?