From Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands and Mad Hatter to Willy Wonka and Sweeney Todd, Johnny Depp is known for a bevy of iconic characters. However, few are quite as iconic as Captain Jack Sparrow. As beloved and iconic as the captain of the Black Pearl is, Depp has been distanced from the role since his departure from Disney in 2018.
To recap, since Amber Heard's accusations of abuse years ago, Depp cut ties with Disney and the Pirates of the Caribbean series by extension. However, recent reports tease that Captain Jack might rise from the depths for a sixth film.
Many rumors and speculations have been tossed around regarding the next Pirates of the Caribbean film (especially during an age of Disney sequels), but one thing that can't be denied is that it shouldn't exist without Depp's involvement. Although Margot Robbie's female lead has been teased, there's only room for one captain aboard this vessel.
While this has been going on for some time now, series producer Jerry Bruckheimer teased that some familiar faces would be returning for the next film. Bruckheimer recently hinted to ScreenRant what many of us have already been thinking for years.
It's "a new take" but with a not-so-new cast, which could at least heavily imply that Depp has some sort of involvement with the project. While the same could be said of Orlando Bloom (Will Turner), Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann), and Geoffrey Rush (Captain Barbossa), the fact of the matter is that the series needs Depp in order to stay afloat, pun totally intended.
In no uncertain terms, there is no Pirates of the Caribbean without Captain Jack, and even Disney knows that. He's been the face of the franchise for far too long, and Depp's influence has left far too much of a mark for the series to carry on without him.
Johnny Depp created a magnificent pirate persona with the work of a mad genius that was Captain Jack. Although there are a few imitators floating around out there, the main reason he works is because of Depp's performance.
Replacing Depp with someone else would be cinematic suicide, and it's no secret. In this writer's opinion, Bruckheimer and Disney could be preparing a massive negotiation to pull Depp back into the fold, especially if the other Pirates alumni are present as well. The question is, will he say yes?
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