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As fans hungrily anticipate the long-awaited fourth installment of Steven Spielberg's big screen adventure series that began with 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark (possible title: Indiana Jones and the Slowly Veering Lincoln Continental of Doom), the Internets have been teeming with casting rumors. Most notable among them: that Shia LaBeouf—who'll be fighting Soundwave and his evil boombox cassette-recorder ways this summer in Michael Bay's Transformers—would be playing Indy's son. Slate is now reporting that the rumors are true:

It's been rumored around a bit on the Web, and now an excellent source says you can count on it: Shia LaBeouf will play the son of Indiana Jones in the upcoming fourth installment in the series, set for release in 2008.

Apparently, the young actor is impressive enough in the upcoming Steven Spielberg-produced Disturbia and Transformers that he won the role.

With LaBeouf's involvement confirmed, the Jones Family saga now has the much-needed shot of youthful adrenaline required to make Indy IV the must-see multigenerational adventure for our time. The now middle-aged men who first delighted to the archaeologist's exploits as children can finally share the experience with their own kids, occasionally leaning over to explain that, "See, in the old ones, Grandpa Jones and Indy didn't just stay back at the hotel examining maps and wishing Indy Jr. good luck on his mission. They got out there and killed Nazis, too!"