Petition for Johnny Depp to Return to 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Franchise Reaches 500K Signatures

05/09/2022 11:50 am EDT

Over half a million Johnny Depp fans are now begging Disney to bring him back to the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. Depp has appeared in all five Pirates films to date as Captain Jack Sparrow but is not scheduled to reprise the role in the upcoming sequel. Now, over 566,000 fans have signed a petition on Change.org asking Disney to rectify that situation.

The viral petition was started by a user named Kimberly Giles and addressed to The Walt Disney Company, its CEO Robert Iger, its CFO Christine McCarthy and its vice president Alan N. Braverman. It reads: "Johnny Depp has always been one of the greatest actors ever since he started acting around the age of 21. This man NEVER disappoints when he makes a movie, so why continue to keep him from doing Pirates of the Caribbean?? That movie is nothing without him! Please sign this petition to help Johnny Depp get back to what he enjoys and does best."

The petition reiterates Depp's testimony about his brief marriage to Amber Heard – including his claim that Heard's allegations of domestic abuse have cost him his career. Depp and Heard are currently in trial for defamation, with Depp claiming that Heard mischaracterized him as a domestic abuser. He argues that Heard's account cost him his role on Pirates of the Caribbean 6, along with other prominent roles including Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

To prove that Heard's statements were defamatory, of course, Depp and his legal team must make a convincing case that they were untrue to some extent. This means that Depp and Heard are now litigating their abuse allegations against one another in court for the very first time. Many fans have strong feelings on this case, and it looks like those feelings influenced Giles in the writing of her petition and many of the signatories as well.

"Johnny Depp is not only a great actor, but a real gentleman. He is brave and strong for fighting back against mental and physical abuse. He deserves so much better. God Bless Johnny Depp!" reads one of the most recent signatures. Another reads: "he is innocent and she is a basket case."

Depp and Heard's trial is expected to continue through the end of this month followed by a deliberation by a jury. The sixth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean has been in development since 2011, though fans haven't gotten any updates on its progress since May of 2020. The first five movies in the franchise are streaming now on Disney+.

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