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Credit: Disney Hollywood careers rarely stay contained to a single franchise for long, and Tom Holland’s next move might prove exactly that. Fresh off becoming one of the highest paid actors currently working, Holland is reportedly eyeing a completely different kind of blockbuster world, one built around pirates, curses, and the high seas rather than web slinging through New York City.
The timing couldn’t be more interesting either, since Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is already in the middle of a major creative shakeup involving Johnny Depp and Margot Robbie. Here’s everything currently known about Holland’s potential involvement, where Pirates 6 actually stands right now, and why Holland’s recent box office success makes him such an appealing name for Disney to court.
Tom Holland Reportedly in Early Talks for Pirates 6
According to Ram News, Tom Holland is in early talks with Disney for a potential role in Pirates of the Caribbean 6. As the outlet put it, “Tom Holland could be heading from the Marvel universe into another major Disney franchise. The actor is reportedly in early talks with Disney for a potential role in Pirates of the Caribbean 6.” If discussions eventually turn into an actual deal, it would hand Holland a second massive blockbuster franchise to anchor alongside his ongoing run as Spider-Man. It’s worth stressing that these talks are still described as early stage, with no official casting confirmed. Still, the idea of Holland transitioning from swinging between skyscrapers to sailing the seven seas has fans buzzing already.
Where Pirates 6 Actually Stands Right Now
To understand why Holland’s name suddenly matters here, it helps to know just how much has shifted with the Pirates franchise recently. Fans have spent nearly a decade wondering whether Captain Jack Sparrow would ever return following the lukewarm reception to 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, compounded by the very public legal battles surrounding Johnny Depp.
That uncertainty finally broke at the 2026 D23 Fan Expo, when longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that talks with Depp are actively underway. Speaking with Deadline after receiving a Disney Legends tribute, Bruckheimer said plainly, “We’re talking to Johnny. We’re working on a screenplay. Hopefully, we can get this done.” It’s the clearest confirmation yet that Disney and Depp are working toward reconciliation after Disney distanced itself from the actor in 2018 following domestic abuse allegations involving ex-wife Amber Heard.
There’s a significant twist buried in these negotiations, though. Reports from Deadline suggest Depp’s Jack Sparrow won’t be leading the film this time. Instead, the sixth installment is expected to center on a new protagonist played by Margot Robbie, effectively shifting Sparrow into a supporting role. Robbie has been attached to a Pirates project in various forms for years, and it now appears her storyline has merged with the mainline sequel rather than existing as a separate spinoff. Given Robbie’s box office drawing power following Barbie, and her established action credentials from Birds of Prey, casting her as the true lead makes a lot of sense for a franchise looking to expand beyond a single character.
Why Tom Holland Is Suddenly One of Hollywood’s Biggest Names
Holland’s potential involvement in Pirates 6 comes at a moment when he’s arguably at the peak of his commercial value. He stands to make more than $100 million for starring in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a payday that places him firmly among Hollywood’s top earning actors, and it comes on top of another major 2026 hit, The Odyssey.
According to individuals familiar with the deal, Holland secured a base salary of at least $20 million upfront for Brand New Day, a $10 million jump from his previous Spider-Man contract, with total earnings potentially reaching $100 million or more once uncapped backend bonuses are factored in. As one source put it, “He will make at least” $100 million, declining to speculate how much higher the final number might climb. That backend structure matters enormously given the film’s performance. Spider-Man: Brand New Day crossed $2 billion at the global box office within just three weeks of release, backed by a record breaking $927 million global opening weekend and a $360 million domestic opening that broke records outright.
This kind of payday represents a dramatic climb for Holland, who earned just $500,000 for his first outing as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming back in 2017, followed by $4 million for Spider-Man: Far From Home and $10 million for Spider-Man: No Way Home. His trajectory closely mirrors the path Robert Downey Jr. took as Iron Man, a comparison one media mogul made directly, calling Holland “the new Robert Downey Jr.” Downey Jr. similarly started at $500,000 before eventually earning over $100 million combined for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame once backend deals kicked in. Actor Tom Hollander even gave fans a glimpse of just how large these bonus checks can get, recalling on Late Night With Seth Meyers that he once mistakenly received a check meant for Holland tied to Avengers: Infinity War, describing it as “an astonishing amount of money… a seven-figure sum,” and that was just the first installment of the bonus, not the whole thing.
Why Disney Bringing In Holland Would Make Sense
With Jack Sparrow shifting to a supporting role and Margot Robbie stepping in as the new lead, Disney appears to be deliberately widening the Pirates franchise beyond its original core character, similar to how the Marvel Cinematic Universe has continually introduced new headline stars over time. Adding someone with Holland’s proven box office track record and broad audience appeal would give the studio even more insurance as it tries to relaunch a franchise that’s been dormant for nearly a decade.
What This Could Mean for Your Next Disney Trip
For anyone who loves the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, a full franchise relaunch with this much star power attached is worth paying attention to. New films involving major Disney IP have historically led to updated attraction overlays, fresh merchandise, and special seasonal events tied to a movie’s release. If Pirates 6 does move forward with this cast, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Disney lean into that momentum at the actual theme park attraction inspired by the franchise, whether through limited time experiences, updated theming, or promotional tie-ins timed around the film’s eventual release.
Are you excited about the direction Pirates of the Caribbean 6 seems to be heading, with Margot Robbie potentially leading and Tom Holland possibly joining the cast? Let us know in the comments what you’re hoping to see from this next chapter of the franchise.
