Back in late 2018, it was revealed that Disney was letting Johnny Depp go from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and was looking to reboot it with a new female-led series. Initially, Deadpool scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were on hand to write, but they ultimately left the project, to be replaced by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and original screenwriter Terry Rossio. The plans’s still going ahead, then, but Disney just needs to find its new star.
We Got This Covered has previously reported that Karen Gillan is in the running for the lead role, and according to our sources – the same ones who told us about the Bambi live-action movie months ago, before it was confirmed this week – Gillan is still being looked at, but another British actress has recently entered the fray, too. From what we understand, Disney is now reportedly considering former Harry Potter star Emma Watson to take over the sea-faring franchise from Depp as well. It’s unknown which of the actresses is the favorite or if there are any other major contenders in consideration at this time, but it’s been said that both of them are being eyed.
Gillan makes a lot of sense as a prospective lead, considering her background in action-adventure movies, while Watson’s a slightly left-field choice. Of course, she’s been a major player in another successful fantasy-flavored franchise before now, but she didn’t have to do a whole lot of action and generally piratical behavior as Hermione Granger. Still, Watson’s a versatile performer, so there’s no reason she couldn’t pull off such a different role.
If you’ll recall, our sources – the same ones who told us about an Aladdin sequel and National Treasure 3 being in the works before they were both confirmed – have also said that Disney is entertaining a separate idea for a reboot alongside this one. In case you missed it, we reported earlier this week that Zac Efron is one actor being looked at to play a young Jack Sparrow in a Pirates prequel TV show, which would land on Disney Plus.
With all that in mind, are we about to get an MCU-like Pirates of the Caribbean universe made up of various spinoffs and sequels? That remains to be seen, but for now, it certainly sounds like the franchise is alive and well and fans will have much to look forward to over the coming years. Even if many are still upset that Depp is no longer involved.
