Johnny Depp (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) could be charting a course back to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, known for his work on F1 (2025) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), revealed that he has been in discussions with Depp about reprising his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow for a potential sixth film. While Disney cut ties with the actor in 2018 following the publication of an op-ed by his ex-wife, Amber Heard (Aquaman), which didn’t name Depp but described her as a survivor of domestic abuse, Bruckheimer has consistently expressed a desire for his return.
Now, the producer says Depp is open to the idea, under one condition: “If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” Bruckheimer told EW. “It’s all about what’s on the page.”
The last entry in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in 2017, with Depp joined by Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech), Orlando Bloom (Gran Turismo), and Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game). Talks of a sixth instalment have been ongoing since at least 2019. Bruckheimer has said the new film would serve as a reboot, but he still hopes to see Sparrow make an appearance.
“I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist, and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack. That was not on the page; that was him doing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow.”
The main holdup remains the script. Work by The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin and original series writer Ted Elliot was paused during the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Jeff Nathanson, who penned Dead Men Tell No Tales, has since been tackling the screenplay. “I think he’s cracked it,” Bruckheimer said in May 2024, praising the “amazing” third act while noting the first two still need refining.
Depp’s possible return would mark a significant shift. During his 2022 defamation trial with Heard, the actor said he wouldn’t reprise the role “for US$300 million and a million alpacas,” citing feelings of betrayal from Disney. Since then, Depp has focused on independent projects outside the Hollywood studio system.
Whether Captain Jack sails again will depend on more than treasure — it will hinge on the script that lands on Depp’s desk.
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he’s not sleeping, he’s highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it’s honestly pretty close.
Joey Leong
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