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Credit: DisneyIt’s been eight years since Johnny Depp put on his Captain Jack Sparrow costume for a Pirates of the Caribbean film. Since then, his life has been tabloid fodder, and Disney dumped him from the billion-dollar franchise.
Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, wrote a newspaper article about being the victim of domestic abuse. While she did not publically name Depp as her alleged abuser, it was clear she was talking about him.
Depp eventually won millions in a high-profile civil lawsuit against Heard, but Disney and the Fantastic Beasts franchise had already dropped him. The damage was already done.
Since his court victory, Pirates fans have been clamoring for Depp to return to the role of Captain Jack Sparrow. Fans have also destroyed any rumors of reboots or replacements for Depp, sometimes in vicious ways.
When Elon Musk posted that actress Ayo Edebiri would replace Depp in a Pirates reboot, The Bear star received death threats despite the rumor’s lack of validity.
But now, it appears Pirates of the Caribbean fans are finally getting their wish. According to reports, Depp and Disney are days away from announcing a deal to reboot the Pirates franchise.
A senior Disney executive told the Daily Wire:
It’s very close to being a done deal. A script is already in place and Disney views this as a series reboot, meaning the door will be wide open for more future episodes for Johnny, despite everything he has been through.
According to the Disney source, Depp’s friend, Marc Webb, is on board to direct the new film. Webb is best known for 500 Days of Summer (2009), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), and Disney’s live-action Snow White (2025).
With Disney struggling at the box office, it makes perfect sense to reboot Pirates with Depp. Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the few movie franchises with multiple billion-dollar films.
Also, given Disney’s new-found appreciation of familiar storylines and characters, this becomes a no-brainer for the company. It’s also a given for Depp, who has made several bombs after leaving the Pirates franchise.
So, Pirates fans, get ready. An announcement is forthcoming about Johnny Depp returning as Captain Jack Sparrow.
What do you think about Depp returning to Pirates of the Caribbean?