Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicDisney is officially entering a new era, and the timing could not be more chaotic.
After months of behind-the-scenes speculation, Disney’s leadership shakeup is now taking shape in a way that will completely reshape the company’s future. Bob Iger is expected to officially retire, Josh D’Amaro is set to take over as CEO, and Dana Walden will step into a powerful new role as The Walt Disney Company’s President and Chief Creative Officer.
And almost immediately, one franchise has started bubbling back to the surface.
It’s not just a random coincidence. It feels like a message. Disney is moving forward, and it’s doing so by grabbing one of its biggest legacy brands and pushing it back into the spotlight.
But this isn’t a clean comeback story.
Because Dana Walden now has a controversial decision to make, and fans are already bracing for impact.
Disney’s Pirates Franchise Is Back on the Table
For years, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has felt stuck in limbo.
It wasn’t officially dead, but it wasn’t alive either. Disney kept hinting at future installments, insiders kept floating different casting rumors, and producers kept insisting something was “in the works,” but nothing ever seemed to move forward in a real way.
That was partly because the franchise simply lost momentum. While Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) remains one of Disney’s most iconic modern films, the sequels didn’t maintain the same reputation. Some fans loved the later movies, but many felt the series became increasingly bloated and less focused as it went on.
Still, Disney knows one thing: this franchise makes money.
And in an era where studios are leaning harder than ever on recognizable IP, Disney isn’t going to let Pirates fade away quietly.
Now, a new report claims Disney is officially moving forward with a reboot.
And it’s already dividing fans.
Dana Walden’s First Major Creative Test
With Dana Walden stepping into her new role as Disney’s President and Chief Creative Officer, this Pirates reboot becomes more than just another franchise revival. It becomes one of her first major creative tests.
Walden will now have direct influence over Disney’s film direction, which means decisions like this won’t just be handed off to producers or buried in studio development meetings. The Pirates reboot is exactly the kind of project that will define what kind of leadership she brings to the company.
Is she going to take risks?
Is she going to play it safe?
Or is she going to try to satisfy everyone and end up satisfying no one?
Because this franchise has one massive obstacle that Disney still hasn’t solved.
Disney Has to Decide What to Do About Johnny Depp
Whether Disney likes it or not, Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow is the face of Pirates of the Caribbean.
The character didn’t just carry the franchise—he became the franchise. Jack Sparrow is one of the most recognizable Disney characters of the last 25 years, and even people who didn’t love the later sequels still associate the entire brand with Depp’s performance.
But Disney’s relationship with Depp became complicated after Amber Heard’s domestic violence allegations and the legal battles that followed.
At the time, Disney appeared to distance itself from Depp completely. Plans for a continuation of the franchise stalled, and the future of Pirates became a question mark. Now, Depp’s career has started showing signs of momentum again, with reports suggesting he’s returning to more mainstream projects.
And Disney has to decide if this is the moment to bring him back.
Fans Have Made Their Position Clear
This is where things get messy.
If Dana Walden decides to move forward without Johnny Depp, there’s a very real chance fans will revolt.
Not quietly. Not politely.
Fans have spent years online arguing that Pirates simply cannot work without Jack Sparrow. Many believe Disney has no chance of reviving the franchise if the character isn’t involved, and some have even claimed they would boycott a reboot that replaces him.
Disney has already dealt with franchise backlash in recent years, and the company knows how fast these online debates can spiral into major headlines.
If Walden greenlights a reboot without Depp, the studio may face the same reaction that’s hit other major franchises when audiences feel like the heart of the original story has been removed.
And if the goal is to relaunch Pirates as a reliable blockbuster brand again, starting with an angry fanbase is not the way to do it.
But Bringing Depp Back Would Create a Different Problem
At the same time, Disney also knows bringing Depp back isn’t a simple win.
Even if many fans cheer, it would still be controversial.
The studio would likely face backlash from critics who believe Disney should not re-embrace the actor after the public legal battle and years of negative headlines. And from a corporate standpoint, this would be one of the first major “headline decisions” under Disney’s new leadership structure.
Dana Walden wouldn’t just be approving a film. She would be making a statement about what Disney is willing to do in order to revive its biggest properties.
That’s why this choice feels like a trap. There’s no option that avoids controversy.
There’s only the option that creates the least damage.
Reports Suggest Jack Sparrow Won’t Be the Focus Either Way
Here’s the detail that may surprise fans the most.
Even if Disney does bring Johnny Depp back, it sounds like Jack Sparrow may not be the main character of this reboot.
Instead, reports suggest Disney wants to shift the franchise toward a new lead—specifically, the son of Jack Sparrow.
That would allow Disney to keep the Sparrow name attached to the franchise without forcing the entire movie to revolve around Jack again.
It’s a strategic move. A way to satisfy nostalgia while also building a new future.
And Disney clearly wants that future, because the studio knows Jack Sparrow can’t carry the franchise forever.
The character has already been through five films. Disney has to find a way to evolve the brand or risk repeating the same story until audiences tune out completely.
Margot Robbie Is Still in the Conversation
Another major detail is that Margot Robbie remains tied to the reboot rumors, and some reports suggest she could still be involved in the project.
Robbie has long been connected to a Pirates spinoff, and if she becomes part of this reboot, it would signal that Disney is trying to modernize the franchise while still keeping it in blockbuster territory.
From Disney’s perspective, Robbie makes sense. She has global star power, strong box office appeal, and she fits into the type of casting that can reframe an aging franchise into something that feels fresh again.
But to some fans, her involvement would also be seen as a warning sign.
Because if Disney positions Robbie as the new face of Pirates, many longtime fans will immediately assume Disney is trying to replace Jack Sparrow rather than build around him.
And that assumption will fuel the backlash.
Disney Is Trying to Thread the Needle
Right now, it seems like Disney wants the best of both worlds.
They want to revive Pirates of the Caribbean with a new story direction, potentially centered around Sparrow’s son, while still leaving the door open for Johnny Depp to appear in some form.
That approach would allow Disney to market the film as a continuation of the franchise’s legacy while also positioning it as a new beginning.
But that kind of balancing act is difficult to pull off. If Depp only appears briefly, fans may feel cheated. If he doesn’t appear at all, fans may feel betrayed.
And if Disney builds the entire movie around Sparrow’s son without the original character being involved in a meaningful way, audiences might not connect with the reboot at all.
It’s a huge risk, especially for a franchise that already struggled to maintain momentum in its later years.
The Pirates Reboot Is Bigger Than One Movie
This isn’t just another sequel announcement.
The Pirates of the Caribbean reboot is shaping up to be one of the first major franchise decisions tied directly to Disney’s new leadership era. With Josh D’Amaro stepping in as CEO and Dana Walden becoming Disney’s top creative force, every major move will be viewed as part of the company’s new direction.
And that’s what makes this situation so intense.
Walden isn’t just greenlighting a movie.
She’s choosing what kind of Disney this is going to be.
Will Disney lean into fan expectations, even if it comes with controversy?
Or will Disney try to reboot itself at the same time it reboots its franchises?
Because if Walden decides Jack Sparrow isn’t the focus of this film—and Depp isn’t included at all—then Disney is essentially betting that Pirates can survive without the character that built the franchise.
And if she’s wrong?
Fans won’t just be disappointed.
They’ll riot.
Disney’s Next Move Could Define the Franchise’s Future
At this point, it’s clear Disney wants Pirates of the Caribbean back.
The franchise still has name recognition, theme park appeal, and enough nostalgia attached to it to generate serious attention.
But Dana Walden now has to make the biggest decision Disney has faced about this franchise in years.
If she brings back Johnny Depp, she invites controversy.
If she doesn’t, she risks turning the reboot into a disaster before production even begins.
And if Jack Sparrow isn’t the main focus regardless, then Disney may be heading into the most divisive Pirates era yet.
One way or another, Disney is moving forward.