Johnny Depp‘s lawsuit against The Sun went into the UK court last week, leading to many controversial aspects of his short-lived marriage with Amber Heard surfacing online. And while things seem to be in favor of the Pirates of the Caribbean star, Disney is reportedly now having second thoughts about asking him back for future movies.
Ever since allegations of physical and emotional abuse in 2016, Depp has had a difficult time maintaining his career in Hollywood, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement. In the end, though, the thespian decided to seek justice by outing both Heard and the publication that accused him of domestic violence, launching a multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit against his former wife and setting in motion a libel case against The Sun.
Over the past week, a lot of people have testified in favor of Depp in the London High Court, but the defendants have also put forth allegations of abuse, some of which involved the actor’s excessive drug and alcohol use. And that brings us to the latest report regarding his involvement in the future of the Pirates franchise.
Earlier on, we had heard that his return somewhat rests on the outcome of the ongoing trial, but according to The Daily Star, the Mouse House executives have now become “dismayed” over the actor’s drug use and are apparently reconsidering some things.
According to the outlet, here’s what a Hollywood insider told them about the matter:
“They were working on storylines to bid him a fitting farewell from the franchise. They both realise that, whether Johnny wins his cases or not, he is likely to be viewed as box-office poison in these sensitive times.”
That being said, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer is reportedly hoping that there might be a way to bring Depp back for a small scene, something that could serve as Captain Jack Sparrow’s swan song. Ultimately, though, there’s been no official announcement about the actor’s involvement in the future of the franchise, so until the end of this trial, we’d be wise to take these reports with a grain of salt.
