Returning to a role after a lengthy gap can be irresistible, and Harrison Ford’s return as Indiana Jones after an impressive 19-year break is not even the longest. Clint Eastwood is rumoured to be reviving Dirty Harry later this year after two decades and here are five other heroes with lasting power.

PAUL NEWMAN as FAST EDDIE FELSON (25 YEARS, 1961-86)

In the UK, it’s alcohol that improves your pool-playing; in the US it is age. A quarter of a century after The Hustler, Felson returned to the table and Newman walked away with an Oscar.

PETER MAYHEW as CHEWBACCA (22 YEARS, 1983-2005)

Mayhew’s reappearance as a presumably much younger Chewbacca in The Revenge of the Sith is the biggest break in George Lucas’s universe. Mayhew also beats his old partner Ford’s gap by three years. Just as well – as Han Solo pointed out, it’s not wise to upset a Wookiee.

SYLVESTER STALLONE as JOHN RAMBO/ROCKY BALBOA (20/16 YEARS, 1988-2008/1990-2006)

Stallone doesn’t do things by halves, and he recently revived his two most famous characters with limited success. Let’s hope it has ended plans for Tango & Cash 2.

LEONARD NIMOY as SPOCK (18 YEARS, 1991-2009)

The gap . . . between words . . . in some of William Shatner’s sentences were often . . . surprisingly long but only three years separated his final appearances as Captain Kirk. Nimoy, on the other hand, will reprise his role as Spock after 18 years in J. J. Abrams’s new Star Trek movie next year. Seems illogical.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER as THE TERMINATOR (12 YEARS, 1991-2003)

Twelve years is nothing in the Terminator universe when you consider the amount of time-travelling conundrums involved. Perhaps realising that his last outing as a cyborg was showing a little rust, Schwarzenegger headed into politics.

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