Pirates of the Caribbean has been one of Disney’s most profitable franchises for some time. The fantastical adventures of its characters on the high seas have so far netted $4.5 billion at the box office over five movies, which is a pretty incredible feat. Of course, much of that success can be laid at the feet of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, as he’s been the star of every film to date, with his rum-swilling antics the main attraction for audiences.
But the seas have been quiet ever since 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, which scored a healthy $788 million globally though hasn’t yet resulted in a sequel. The franchise being on hiatus isn’t particularly unusual (there have been four and six-year gaps between previous instalments), but most assumed Disney were monitoring Depp’s legal situation before making a decision on where to go next.
And, in the wake of him dramatically losing his libel claim in London, things aren’t looking good for the actor. The British judge found his ex-wife Amber Heard believable, with Depp’s chaotic lifestyle and drug use being detailed in public documents. He’s already lodged an appeal and has pending cases on this side of the pond, but the verdict has done a huge amount of reputational damage to him.
However, it might not be over for him just yet. A new report from Express has surfaced today which claims that Disney is now reconsidering bringing him back for the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie. And they state that a lot of it’s to do with the massive amount of online support for the actor, including the many petitions to have him remain on board the franchise.
Of course, we’d advise taking this with a heavy helping of salt, but there’ve been several other reports in recent months that have said producer Jerry Bruckheimer continues to fight for Depp and hopes to get him at least a cameo in the next film, while it’s also been stated that if the actor’s future legal battles turn out well for him, the studio may reconsider their stance.
For now, only time will tell, but it seems that all hope isn’t lost just yet.
