What is Johnny Depp’s current relationship with Disney, and what’s happening with the next ‘Pirates?’

Ever since Johnny Depp’s tumultuous, public feud with ex-wife Amber Heard in the couple’s 2022 defamation lawsuit, the A-list celebrity’s acting career has taken a severe hit. Not too much of a hit, though, as he is still making movies (albeit questionably successful ones), just nothing close to what he was doing before. 

Depp was dropped by Disney and booted from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise after Heard accused him of abuse in 2018, and was then also replaced in the Fantastic Beasts franchise by Warner Bros. Virtually overnight, he went from the actor everyone sought after, to the one no one wanted to be associated with. 

On June 1, 2022, the jury sided with Depp in his defamation lawsuit against Heard. Slowly, his name has become less incendiary to the touch for prospective studio companies and corporations looking to work with him. Still, the damage was done; gone are the days of Captain Jack Sparrow and a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel. Or is it?

Will Disney work with Johnny Depp again in Pirates of the Caribbean?

After Disney cut ties with Depp, it became clear that the studio wasn’t willing to prioritize its relationship with him over its squeaky-clean reputation. Depp said during his defamation trial that he felt “betrayed” by the company. In fact, his own words were, “There was a deep and distinct sense of feeling betrayed by the people that I’ve worked hard for. People that I delivered a character to that they initially despised, but I stuck to my guns with the character and it seemed to work.”

Depp also famously said he would never return to Disney for “a million alpacas,” a snide joke that was readdressed during his defamation trial when Amber Heard’s lawyer, Rottenborn broached the subject: “The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a Pirates of the Caribbean film? Correct?” To which Depp replied, “That is true, Mr. Rottenborn.”

However, it’s been more than a year since that defamation trial. Opinions change; emotions die down. Just last week, Disney alluded to re-thinking its relationship with Depp, saying it was “noncommital at this point” in regard to his future with the Pirates franchise. It might not sound like much, but that’s as close as one can get in Hollywood to swinging a door right open. 

Whether Depp will sign back on again with Disney is another question entirely. According to the Daily Mail, he is still furious over being sacked and is “refusing” to sign back on for Pirates. This was corroborated by “close friends,” but not substantiated by Depp himself. 

For now, it’s safe to assume that Pirates of the Caribbean will continue without Captain Jack Sparrow. Or at least Depp’s Jack Sparrow. Indeed, Disney’s President Sean Bailey said the studio is interested in rebooting the franchise with “new energy and vitality,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Still, there is no official word on the reboot as of yet. Should that change, We Got This Covered will update you with the latest news.