Johnny Depp May Return In Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 - With One Condition (Report)
A new "Pirates of the Caribbean" film hasn't released since "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" hit the big screen in 2017. In the intervening years, there have been rumblings that a sixth "Pirates" movie is in development. In 2020, reports indicated that a "Pirates" feature starring Margot Robbie was in the works. However, not much of anything pertaining to the franchise has come to fruition, and all the while, fans have wondered if its most prominent and popular character, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) would ever come back for one more adventure.
Between his personal troubles while making "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and his highly publicized legal trial with former partner Amber Heard, a return hasn't seemed likely. Not to mention, Depp has stated that he will never return to the Captain Jack role. However, despite all of this, there may be one more Captain Jack appearance yet. According to Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman in a post on his Patreon, Disney is allegedly considering bringing Depp back for the new "Pirates" movie. In the event he returns, the report states he'll only do so in a supporting role.
While this rumor should inspire some hope among those wanting to see Depp return to the Captain Jack character once again, even if Disney wants to bring him in, would he even go for it?
Depp doesn't seem interested in Hollywood these days
With the trial behind him and the role of Jack Sparrow as well, Johnny Depp has continued to keep busy in the film arena. He returned to directing after 25 years with the film "Modi," and has worked on such efforts as "Jeanne du Berry" and "Johnny Puff: Secret Mission." Be that as it may, the chances of him appearing in another "Pirates of the Caribbean" feature seem slim to none. In addition to expressing his disinterest in ever returning to play Captain Jack, he has shared similar feelings about stepping back into mainstream Hollywood.
"I don't feel boycotted by Hollywood, because I don't think about Hollywood. I don't have much further need for Hollywood, myself," Depp stated at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival while promoting the premiere of "Jeanne du Barry" (via HuffPost). Seeing as Disney is as close to a big Hollywood studio as one can get, and the globally-known and overly-commercialized "Pirates of the Caribbean" is the textbook definition of a Hollywood blockbuster franchise, it stands to reason that on a creative level, Depp has very much moved on from both to embrace a new phase in his career. However, as the old saying goes, never say never.