‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer remains open to a Johnny Depp return

It’s been a rough few six months for Johnny Depp. Now he’s looking to rebuild his life, and there might be an opening for him to return to his most famous acting role.

It hasn’t been smooth-sailing for Hollywood heartthrob and undeniable talent Depp, who’s still emotionally recovering from his defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. The legal event was broadcast worldwide and coverage attracted insane tabloid attention. Depp initially sued for $50 million, whereas Heard countersued for $100 million. In the end, the Virginia jury found Amber Heard liable for defaming Depp. The actor was awarded $10 million, but he was found liable in one of three matters of defamation raised by Heard, who was awarded $2 million.

With the defamation suit behind him, Depp could reprise his role as Jack Sparrow for another Pirates of the Caribbean flick.

Deadline managed to get a few words out of Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer behind the Pirates franchise. When asked if he would have Depp return as Captain Jack for future installments, Bruckheimer gave a rather long, circumlocutory answer, but in short, he seems eager to see Depp back in action in his own time.

“He’s just so good at what he does and actors recover from things like this. He’s a good individual and he’s a caring individual. He’s somebody that you can rely on and he’s just terrific. I think Johnny is an utter friend and an amazing artist and, again, you go through things in life you wish you hadn’t, but he’s still a talented artist.”

No doubt, fans will be ecstatic if Depp were announced for another turn as Jack Sparrow. There’s one small bump in the road, however. Depp vowed never to work with Disney again after the studio unceremoniously dropped him from the sixth Pirates movie as a direct result of Heard’s abuse allegations against him. Following that rash decision, a female-led spinoff starring Margot Robbie was announced, with Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson penning the story. When the idea was pitched to Disney, however, the studio didn’t want to go ahead with it. Needless to say, fans were overjoyed to hear the news, clearly suffering from a severe case of Depp fever when it comes to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Depp has been the face of the Pirates films since setting sail over two decades ago. In August 2003, Walt Disney Pictures released the first of many in the franchise with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which introduced the world to Captain Jack, a loveable, air-headed scallywag whose greatest treasures are booze, women, and gold. For the majority of the franchise, he is joined by English actors Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, who portray Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, respectively.

From 2003 to 2011, there were new Pirates of the Caribbean sequels coming out religiously; one in 2006, the next in 2007, another in 2011 and the latest in 2017. There hasn’t been any new Pirates content since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which stars Javier Bardem of Skyfall fame as Captain Salazar, who seeks revenge on Jack Sparrow for acts of betrayal.

Although the fate of Captain Jack is up in the air, Depp might be inclined to agree should another studio purchase the rights from Disney and go it alone. If it’s a case of Depp refusing due to Disney’s involvement — which it appears to be — then there’s no doubt that the corporation will keep a tight grip on the Pirates rights out of pure spite. After all, they know exactly how much the franchise is worth and won’t want to miss out on potential future projects.