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It is no surprise to say that Johnny Depp has played a huge role in many Disney films from the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, to the fan-favorite Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, many Disney fans cannot get enough of Depp and his acting performances.
Related: #JusticeForJohnnyDepp Takes Over Twitter as New Evidence Comes to Light
However, the Hollywood A-list actor has been undergoing heavy controversy over the past year as both he and ex-wife Amber Heard (Aquaman) are locked in a $150 million legal battle, in which Johnny Depp has been accused of domestic abuse against the actress.
There is currently a documentary in development about this legal battle titled Depp vs. Heard, read more about that here.
Depp lost a libel battle against U.K. tabloid The Sun, as well as recently lost his appeal, which has led his career to take some steps backward. Johnny Depp not only lost his role as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 6 — a role which is now seemingly going to Margot Robbie in the new adaptation of the now female-led franchise — but also, the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Warner Bros. asked Johnny Depp to step down from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3. Mads Mikkelsen is currently set to take over Depp’s character in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Considering that Disney has made Depp walk the plank on a film series whose fans idolizes the actor enough to have hundreds of thousands sign a petition to revoke the decision, it has always remained interesting that his portrayal of Jack Sparrow, as well as his physical aesthetic, not only remain in the Disney theme parks but hold a strong presence.
Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has become iconic both on screen, as well as in the Disney Parks, including the addition of the Johnny Depp look-alike animatronic on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Magic Kingdom in Florida, Disneyland in California and Disneyland Paris. Additionally, Sparrow is included in the mind-boggling advancements of Shanghai’s version which draws heavily from the franchise.
Although Disney may be seemingly on the outs with the character, it is understandable that they would not be jumping to make changes to any attraction starring the actor, as that would be a huge task and an upsetting change to many Guests. It is interesting to see that the Disney Parks continue to display the Jack Sparrow meet and greet, especially during a time where characters are so limited due to the ongoing pandemic.
Previously, we reported that at Disney World, Adventureland Guests may stumble upon the rum-drinking pirate on his stage. Now that Disneyland reopened, it did not take long to see Sparrow return as a socially distanced interaction, as you can see below!
Of course, Jack Sparrow is a character, and not directly Johnny Depp, but Disney Parks does model the look, behavior, facial structure, and overall attitude based on the character Depp created. Seeing Sparrow at Disneyland only confirms that Disney is seemingly not planning on removing the character from their parks anytime soon, on the contrary, their actions actually continue to drive the fandom that follows Jack Sparrow.
Although his career has not been going well since the Heard accusations, there have been rumors of Depp working with an old friend, Tim Burton, in an Addams Family revival, as well as Beetlejuice 2. Neither of these projects has been confirmed at this time, however.
Would you be upset to see Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow leave the Disney Parks?
