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Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney Company publicly acknowledged its history with actor, director, and musician Johnny Depp in a traveling exhibition despite firing him from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) star lost public favor after a United Kingdom judge found it not libelous for newspapers to refer to him as a “wife beater” in 2021.
Depp’s ex-wife, actress and model Amber Heard, later wrote an Op-Ed for The Washington Post in which she called herself a victim of domestic abuse. Though the piece didn’t mention the Edward Scissorhands (1990) lead, he sued Heard for defamation. A Virginia judge ruled in favor of Depp in the spring of 2022.
Related: Lily Rose Depp, Other Celebs Withdraw Support For Johnny Depp After Verdict
Ahead of the defamation trial, information leaked that Walt Disney Studios planned to replace Depp with Margot Robbie for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. In the months following, numerous actors were rumored to take over as the new Captain Jack Sparrow – though Disney hasn’t made any official announcements.
For Depp’s part, he reportedly refused a multi-million dollar offer to return to Pirates after the defamation trial. Allegedly, he refuses to work with Walt Disney Studios ever again.
Though the House of Mouse has stayed mostly quiet about Pirates of the Caribbean 6, they recently acknowledged Depp’s contributions to another live-action Disney film series: Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
To celebrate 100 years of The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Archives curated two exhibits that will travel throughout North America and worldwide for five years. They started in Berlin, Germany, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and have since moved to London, England, and Chicago, Illinois. The next American tour stop is Kansas City, Missouri. The next international location is unknown.
Disney100: The Exhibition takes guests on a journey through the history and making of Disney Parks, Disney movies, and other Disney properties. It includes interactive exhibits, artifacts, and props previously never shown to the public.
Inside the Magic recently visited Disney100: The Exhibition in Chicago. In a display case containing props from both Alice films, Walt Disney Archives featured the Mad Hatter’s Teapot, which they noted was used by Johnny Depp.
Other items in the case included “Drink Me” bottles used by Mia Wasikowska (Alice) in Alice in Wonderland; a tea party cup, saucer, creamer, and toothpick holder; and an “Eat Me” cake and a glass box used by Wasikowska in both Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass.
Though Disney100: The Exhibition featured props from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, none belonged to Depp. The Mad Hatter’s Teapot was the exhibit’s only reference to the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) star.
Should Walt Disney Studios re-hire Johnny Depp for the next Pirates of the Caribbean film? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.