Pirates of the Caribbean producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, has hinted that its possible fans could see Johnny Depp return to the franchise as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Depp first stole the show as the eccentric pirate Jack Sparrow in 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl. There followed four more hugely successful installments of Pirates of the Caribbean, but the franchise has been on hiatus since 2017.
Disney dropped Johnny Depp from a potential sixth movie after his ex-wife Amber Heard published an article in the Washington Post claiming she had been a victim of domestic abuse.
Depp was not named in the article, but many assumed he had been the abuser. He is currently suing Heard for defamation of character.
Johnny Depp’s future with Pirates of the Caribbean ‘is yet to be decided’
Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently conducted an interview where he was asked if Depp and Pirates of the Caribbean still had a future. He responded with: “Not at this point,” but teasingly added: “The future is yet to be decided.”
It sounds like the door may still be open for a possible return for Depp. But with the sixth movie reportedly already in development, the appearance of Depp in that film seems unlikely. And it remains to be seen if the outcome of the defamation lawsuit affects Disney’s decision.
It’s not clear if Depp would come willingly back to the role of Jack Sparrow; he recently said in court that he hoped to end the franchise but wanted to do so on his own terms.
According to Insider, Depp testified: “A franchise can last only so long. And there’s a way to end a franchise like that. And I thought the characters should have a way out, to end the franchise on a very good note. And I planned on continuing until it was time to stop.”
Will Johnny Depp feature in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
There is still a lot of confusion surrounding the sixth installment of the movie, and this isn’t the first time Depp has been linked to a return. In 2020, rumors emerged that powerful figures within Disney were arguing that the franchise could not continue without Jack Sparrow.
This was followed by a later rumor that the studio would take a different direction and focus on an all-female cast with Margot Robbie in the lead.
The Pirates of the Caribbean series is currently available to stream on Disney+.