Orlando Bloom Breaks Silence on Johnny Depp’s Return To 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

It seems like everyone is ready to return to Disney’s Pirates—well, at least Orlando Bloom is.

Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom in 'Pirates of the Caribbean' — Credit: Disney

Disney’s collection of iconic, box-office-breaking film franchises is practically unmatched. From classic fairy tales like Snow White (1937), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Beauty and the Beast (1991) to modern-day hits like Moana 2 (2024) and Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch (2025), it seems some form of Disney movie is always being talked about.

It certainly helps that Disney also owns Marvel and Star Wars, with new entries in both universes releasing consistently, either in theaters or on Disney+.

Perhaps the best example of Disney’s box office dominance is James Cameron’s Avatar franchise. Both Avatar films are among the highest-grossing movies ever released, which is good news for Disney, which not only helps distribute the series but also heavily features it in its theme parks.

However, one film franchise stands above the rest, one that took fans to the high seas, the isle of Tortuga, and Davy Jones’ Locker.

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise – A Brief Recap

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl poster, featuring Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, and Geoffrey Rush — Credit: Disney

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is still one of the company’s most successful and revered. Consisting of five films, Disney was able to catch lightning in a bottle multiple times.

The original movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, was released in 2003. It was a big risk, considering the film was based on a Disney theme park ride. Other attempts to cash in on Disney’s theme parks proved far less successful, such as Tower of Terror (1997) and Haunted Mansion (2003).

It was immediately apparent that there was magic within the first Pirates film, enough to create an entire world around it. In total, the Pirates movies grossed over $4 billion at the box office, cementing themselves not just as a commercial success but a cultural phenomenon.

However, the franchise has remained dry-docked since 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, likely for several reasons. Firstly, Dead Men Tell No Tales received the worst ratings of the bunch. The film also fell back on some rather “interesting” impulses, bringing back familiar faces like Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swan.

Johnny Depp, the franchise’s lead, has also faced much scrutiny over the last few years due to the very public trial he participated in alongside his former partner, Amber Heard.

Depp and Heard headlined a global defamation case in 2022 in which Depp accused Heard of hurting his reputation and career because of what she wrote. Heard was found liable in all three matters of defamation. As such, Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

Orlando Bloom Wants the Pirates Gang Back Together

Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom as Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, respectively — Credit: Disney

Orlando Bloom says he is in favor of reuniting the original Pirates of the Caribbean cast for the upcoming sixth movie, which is currently in development. During an appearance at Fan Expo Chicago, Bloom talked about Johnny Depp’s potential return as Jack Sparrow and his own character.

“Everything is in the writing, right? Everything is on the page, and I think there’s definitely, I’m sure there’s a way to create something,” Bloom said. “I would personally love to see everybody back. I think the way to win on that one is to get everybody back. If they can, and if everybody wanted to go back.”

“Do you bring in a female lead that replicates Jack in some way?” asked Bloom. “The jury is out on how to do it again.” “I would personally love to see everybody back. I think the way to win on that one is to get everybody back. If they can, and if everybody wanted to go back. My thing is, if the script was great and — ideally it was everybody — it’d be kind of like in for a penny, in for a pound, you know. What they’re thinking…is how to do it. Do you bring in a female leading character that replicates Jack in some way? I don’t know. The jury is out on how to do it again, but if [the script] was great, [I’d be in].”

This follows similar comments made by longtime Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who also said he’d like to see Depp continue to play the swashbuckling pirate.

“If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” Bruckheimer said. “It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know.”

First signs of a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie emerged in 2020. Since then, small bits of information have been shared, but nothing is actually known about what lies ahead for the franchise.

One plan would have seen two films made: a sixth Pirates film and a new spinoff led by Margot Robbie. This spinoff film was reportedly canceled, though Bruckheimer has stated that he thinks Disney still wants to do both.

Would you like to see Johnny Depp return as Captain Jack Sparrow?