Barry Williams knows what the fanboys want.

There are probably those in the power corridors of Hollywood who view Barry Williams as little more than a pop culture footnote. Sure, he’s the guy who immortalized Greg Brady to legions of Brady Bunch fans; he’s the man with the fringe jacket, the cool, well-fought-for attic bedroom. He’s the cat so hip that he can dump a chick with nothing more than the now-famous “something came up” blow-off. He’s a classic, an institution, a national treasure.

But is he a franchise action hero? Well, of course not…not yet.

Once again, we direct you to a recent Q&A entry from Barry’s Web site in which he vigorously knocks upon the rich, mahogany door of Hollywood casting opportunity:

From: chavalabobby@yahoo.com:
Were you ever Superman fan and did you ever wish you would taken Christopher Reeve’s place as Superman?
Barry Williams:
I have been a fan of Superman since I watched it with George Reeves on television. No, I have never aspired to playing the Man of Steel, I’d rather be Indiana Jones.

Of course you can see what Barry Williams is doing here in his own Machiavellian way. Not content to go down in history as dominating the roles of both Greg Brady and Thurston Howell III, Barry Williams has now set his sights on the role of cinema’s rogue archaeologist.

And really, why not? With last week’s dust-up over the rejection of Frank Darabont’s Indiana Jones IV draft, clearly George Lucas is searching for that certain something that will elevate the franchise to new levels of greatness. There are plenty of critics, fans and bloggers claiming that Harrison Ford is too old to play Indy anymore – why not consider Barry Williams at a full 12 years’ Ford’s junior? Just consider some of the possible self-aware sequel titles that could result:

• Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Hawaiian Tiki God
• Indiana Jones and the Terror of the Grand Canyon
• Indiana Jones and the Musical Variety Show Contest
• Indiana Jones and the Sideburns of Destiny

You might find this to be unlikely, a longshot, the bizarre ramblings of a diseased mind. Of course you’d be wrong. With the Indiana Jones franchise now stretching into its 78th year of development, Barry Williams needs only to wait, bide his time, and strike when the moment is right.

And if you think he’s not up for the challenge, just remember: this is the man who knows exactly how to keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on doin’ it right.