Former Disney Executive Predicts Johnny Depp’s Return To Billion-Dollar Franchise
Industry insiders are already expecting that Johnny Depp may be wooed back for a certain Disney mega-franchise.
Following Johnny Depp’s win in his defamation court case with Amber Heard, in which Heard also won one of three defamation claims with plans to appeal, many fans are wondering if the actor will be signing on to any new movies. Particularly, fans are interested in seeing Depp return in one of his most famous roles as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. According to People, a former Disney exec thinks that the possibility is definitely there.
The former exec told People “I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board.” This is a pretty strong statement, but the exec further backs it up by saying how producer Jerry Bruckheimer will be looking to bring bankable stars to known franchises after how successful his movie Top Gun: Maverick with Tom Cruise has been. The Pirates of the Caribbean is a billion-dollar franchise, so bringing Johnny Depp back, if he has the fan support, could definitely be a profitable venture.
What’s curious about this claim is the fact that Johnny Depp has said he would not return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Although he had said in the past that he would like to bring a resolution to the character, his relationship soured with Disney after they removed him from the franchise. He has mentioned that he wouldn’t return to the franchise, even for $300 million. These are strong words from Depp, so it doesn’t seem too likely to be willing to return even if Disney would have him. Of course, things could always change and if the project is right and Depp likes the team and the script, maybe he would return to play Captain Jack Sparrow one last time.
Another insider told People that Johnny Depp probably wouldn’t be back to star, but that there might be room for a cameo role. The insider mentioned Margot Robbie as a potential replacement in a reboot of the franchise, with Robbie playing Jack Sparrow’s daughter. This is backed up by the fact that Jerry Bruckheimer himself told The Sunday Times that they have one script written with Margot Robbie in the lead role and one script without her. He was also asked about Depp returning to the role, and he said “Not at this point. The future is yet to be decided.” This definitely leaves the door open for Depp’s return, but it doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards at this point.
Johnny Depp first appeared as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Depp ended up nabbing an Oscar nomination for his portrayal. The movie was a critical and commercial success, which led to four more sequels with Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, On Stranger Tides, and Dead Man Tell No Tales. The franchise has made a ton of money, though critical reception got progressively worse as the series went on. Maybe a reboot is just what the franchise needs to bring back the old magic.
