Summary:
- Pirates of the Caribbean’s producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, recently revealed that he had spoken to Johnny Depp about returning as Captain Jack Sparrow.
- Disney has been keeping its distance from Depp ever since his defamation trial, even after the latter was proven innocent.
- Depp also expressed how he felt “hurt” and “betrayed” by the House of Mouse’s actions, making his return to the franchise even more complicated.
The future of Johnny Depp’s involvement with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise remains a topic of much speculation and hope among fans, after the recent grudge between the actor and the House of Mouse. Despite the murky waters surrounding his potential return, recent comments from producer Jerry Bruckheimer might just be the beacon of hope fans are looking for.
Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow has left an indelible mark on pop culture, making him arguably the most iconic pirate ever depicted on screen. His appearance in the first movie simply outshone Orlando Bloom‘s, though the latter was planned to be the protagonist of the franchise.
However, his career took a hit following domestic violence allegations by his ex-wife Amber Heard, leading to his claim that Disney scrapped plans for a sixth Pirates movie. Although Depp won the defamation trial against Heard, which seemed to swing public sympathy back in his favor, his return to the beloved pirate saga is not yet confirmed.
While Disney hasn’t said anything about Depp since his case, in a recent dialogue with Entertainment Tonight, the franchise’s producer Jerry Bruckheimer expressed his personal wish to bring Depp back into the fold, as he even tried to speak with the actor about it.
“If it was up to me, of course. I love having Depp. He’s a great actor and good friend… I’ve certainly spoken to him, but we’ll see what happens.”
It seems that even though Depp emerges victorious after the trial, Disney’s side doesn’t want to reassociate with the actor too quickly. This is quite understandable since the House of Mouse removed him from their projects during the allegations, they wouldn’t be in a hurry to accept that they were in the wrong.
Moreover, with talks of the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie serving as a complete reboot, creative directions could also be influencing the decision-making process. However, due to recent events, Depp himself might not be too fond of returning to work with Disney, the company that sided against him during the allegations.
Depp himself has expressed feelings of betrayal by Disney, complicating the likelihood of his return.
“Hurt. Blinding hurt. It was like somebody hit me in the back of the head with a 2×4. Captain Jack Sparrow was a character I built from the ground up and was something that I, of course, put a lot of [myself] into the character and also having worked on these films with these people and added much of myself, much of my own re-writing of the dialogue and scenes and jokes,” Depp said during his trial.
“I didn’t quite understand how, after that long relationship and quite a successful relationship certainly for Disney, that suddenly I was guilty until proven innocent. There was a very deep and distinct feeling of having been betrayed by the people that I had been working with, the people I had worked hard for, people I had delivered a character to that they initially despised,” the actor added.
After all that he said, it’s hard to see Depp returning to the franchise that he loved so much. However, if Bruckheimer can find a way to convince the Jeanne du Barry star, he might change his mind somehow.
Though Depp doesn’t want to associate with Disney right now, the 60-year-old recently still donned the iconic Jack Sparrow outfit to surprise an 11-year-old patient called Kuri. He then had a hearty conversation with the little boy in Jack Sparrow’s iconic speaking pattern, called himself Kuri’s “number one fan,” and promised to knight the boy when he hit 200,000 subscribers.
Meanwhile, the development of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 continues, with rumored involvement from actors like Ayo Edebiri and Austin Butler, although official casting has yet to be confirmed. However, judging from fans’ reactions, it seems like only the return of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow can reignite their interest in the beloved franchise.
