Oh, fan theories! The internet just can't get enough of them, and why should they? Speaking of which, this one — cooked up by the podcast Indiana Jones Minute — confidently draws a direct connection between the plots of Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
You may have heard that old chestnut about how the Indiana Jones movies are merely the product of a fever dream Han Solo had when he was encased in Carbonite, and after years (apparently) of speculation, the podcast Indiana Jones Minute has finally assembled all of the evidence into one place — a feat the podcasters claim will “turn any doubter into a believer, or at least any nerd into a philosophically satisfied nerd,” as they told the A.V. Club. I honestly can't tell whether they're joking or not! Doesn't matter.
I can't decide on my favorite part of this wacky theory, but here are three pieces of evidence that particularly struck my fancy:
1. The first rock that falls in the Peruvian temple at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark is in fact a replica of Snaggletooth from the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars.
Source: Indiana Jones Minute
2. The headpiece to the Staff of Ra in Raiders is “literally a disk-shaped falcon,” i.e. a more literal representation of “Millenium Falcon,” Han Solo's ship in the Star Wars movies.
Source: Indiana Jones Minute
3. Han Solo is so haunted by the death of Porkins during the Battle of Yavin in the original Star Wars (a product of his guilt, apparently, for abandoning the rebels early on in their quest to blow up the Death Star before swooping in last minute to help seal a victory) that Porkins — or rather William Hootkins, the actor who plays him — appears in Raiders of the Lost Ark as Major Eaton.
Source: Indiana Jones Minute
On second thought? That last one is definitely my favorite.
You can check out the full roundup here.