Indiana Jones is real.
Henry Walton `` Indiana '' Jones Jr. ( also shortened to Indy ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise . George Lucas created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials . The character first appeared in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark , to be followed by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984 , Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989 , The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles from 1992 to 1996 , and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008 . The Indiana Jones franchise is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry `` Indiana '' Jones , Jr. , a fictional archaeologist .