Credit: DisneyIt’s been a strange few years for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Amid his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard in 2022, Walt Disney Studios reportedly axed Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow for the franchise’s upcoming sixth installment, eyeing Margot Robbie as a potential replacement. Word about the project eventually ground to a halt, though, and, despite winning the legal battle against Heard, Depp never announced a return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. However, Inside the Magic recently discovered that there’s one place where Captain Jack Sparrow remains the face of the legendary franchise.
Fans first met Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). The movie was inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom Park, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland. Two decades (and five movies) later, the franchise is so successful that Johnny Depp-inspired animatronics now live in scenes throughout the Disney Park rides.
However, despite his place in the attraction and several entertainment offerings, Johnny Depp’s likeness has been noticeably absent from merchandise available at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Depp has been a controversial figure ever since his ex-wife, Amber Heard, publicly identified herself as a “victim of domestic abuse.”
Depp lost a 2020 libel trial against The U.K. Sun, in which a magistrate judge found that there was enough evidence for the paper to accurately describe the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them star as a “wife beater.” However, he won the 2022 defamation trial against Heard, whom he sued over an Op-Ed in the Washington Post about her experience surviving spousal abuse. In the years since, though, many public figures and women’s rights organizations have slammed the verdict, siding with Heard over the media’s treatment of her during the legal battle.
Amidst the controversy, Disney has largely remained silent about a potential Pirates of the Caribbean 6 — and whether that film would include Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Margot Robbie as a new main character, or another lead entirely. However, as Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort tiptoe around the franchise’s former head, one international Disney park hasn’t shied away from including Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise.
Last weekend, Inside the Magic visited Tokyo Disneyland and found four T-shirts featuring Johnny Depp as the face of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise at the gift shop near the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
Tokyo Disney Resort is operated by a third-party, The Oriental Land Company, under license from The Walt Disney Company. For this reason, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea aren’t forced to make the same changes as other Disney parks. For example, Tokyo Disneyland is the only Disney park worldwide that has not converted its version of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Can the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise continue without Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow? Inside the Magic would love to hear from you in the comments!