The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise faced significant backlash after Disney decided to remove Johnny Depp from the series, where he portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow.
Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard, became embroiled in a lengthy legal battle following Heard’s claims of abuse, which Depp vehemently denied. Their ongoing dispute involved a $150 million lawsuit that was set to conclude the following spring. Despite not being convicted of any crime, Depp felt the impact of Heard’s public allegations after getting booted from the Disney franchise.
The actor lost a defamation case against the U.K. tabloid The Sun, which sided with Heard, and his subsequent appeal was also unsuccessful. Following these events, Depp stated that Hollywood effectively “boycotted” him, resulting in the loss of his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films and his part in the Fantastic Beasts franchise with Warner Bros.
In response, fans launched petitions calling for his return to the franchise and threatened to boycott any future films without him.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise emerged as one of Disney’s biggest surprises when it debuted in 2003, ultimately becoming one of the studio’s most profitable series. While the first film is often regarded as the high point of the franchise, audiences have continued to enjoy the sequels over the years.
However, it has been nearly six years since the last installment was released, and fans are becoming anxious about when they might return to the high seas. Yet, there have been significant ups and downs in recent years, especially with the controversy surrounding Johnny Depp’s departure from his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow.
This situation has led to a delay in future projects.
Despite these challenges, producer Jerry Bruckheimer remains optimistic, asserting that the franchise still has plenty of potential and that a sixth Pirates film is not just possible, but imminent.
Recently, rumors circulated about The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri potentially leading a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but Bruckheimer later clarified that Disney was merely considering someone like her for one of the proposed spin-offs, not as a replacement for Depp.
Casting rumors have also included Elvis star Austin Butler, who expressed surprise when questioned about them.
The most pressing question on fans’ minds regarding the next Pirates movie is whether Johnny Depp will reprise his role. While it seems unlikely given the way the studio treated him during the aftermath of his legal issues with ex-wife Amber Heard, there is a hope among loyal fans for his return, especially after the resolution of the controversy surrounding his reputation.
Last year, there were unfounded claims that Depp was asking for $300 million to come back, which were quickly debunked.
Bruckheimer has emphasized that he considers Depp a friend and would welcome him back into the franchise. He stated, “He’s a friend, a terrific actor,” and lamented how personal issues can complicate matters. Although Bruckheimer seems eager for Depp’s return, the actor’s intentions remain uncertain.
Recently, Disney’s president, Sean Bailey, mentioned in an interview with The New York Times that they have an exciting story in development that honors previous films while introducing fresh elements, but he did not confirm Depp’s involvement.
Bruckheimer has acknowledged that while a sixth Pirates film is in the works, he confirmed only that a script and story are nearly ready for production. Importantly, the script currently does not include Jack Sparrow due to Depp’s silence on a return. Consequently, anything beyond this point is speculation based on Bruckheimer’s comments.
If the most notable character is not returning, why not consider the next fan-favorite duo? Will Turner and Elizabeth Turner (formerly Elizabeth Swann) may not have enjoyed the same screen time as Jack Sparrow, but they were key characters in the original trilogy, and their story was left open-ended at the conclusion of the last film.
If a script for a sixth movie is genuinely ready, it would make perfect sense for Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley to step back into leading roles.
Interestingly, Bruckheimer has referred to the current Pirates of the Caribbean project in development as a reboot. He explained how challenging it can be to produce sequels to major hits with big stars, noting the uncertainty around actors’ availability.
“You don’t know how they come together. You just don’t know,” he remarked. However, rebooting Pirates simplifies the process, as it does not depend on the availability of specific actors.
In late June 2024, Bruckheimer expressed his expectation of having a script for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 ready within a month, hoping Disney would approve it.
While there has been little concrete information about the upcoming film, Bruckheimer also confirmed that the second script they are developing features Margot Robbie as the lead.
Although Robbie previously indicated that she believed her project was “dead in the water,” Bruckheimer has insisted that it remains alive. He suggested that her comments may have been misinterpreted due to the studio focusing on the first of the two scripts instead of hers.
He mentioned, “The Margot Robbie one needs work. The younger cast one is close. Hopefully, we’ll get them both,” reaffirming that bringing Robbie into the Pirates franchise is still very much in the plan.
With only limited confirmation from the studio about the next film being close to ready, it is likely that fans will not see the movie for quite some time. Even considering Disney’s massive scale, the franchise would face significant challenges in quickly assembling the necessary cast and crew for production. Thus, the next installment is unlikely to arrive before late 2025, even in the best-case scenario.
For now, fans can look forward to the prospect of a sixth film while hoping for more definitive information as the ship sails closer to shore. Whether it will feature Jack Sparrow, the Turners, or even Hector Barbossa remains to be seen.
If you’re looking to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean films in order, here’s the list: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
Would you like to see a Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
