Jerry Bruckheimer Reveals If Johnny Depp Will Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Franchise

There’s been lots of talk about the chances that Johnny Depp could return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and now producer Jerry Bruckheimer has revealed his perspective on the matter. While speaking to the Sunday Times, Bruckheimer was asked if Depp would be involved in the next film. “Not at this point,” he said, then adding, “The future is yet to be decided.”

It was recently announced that the sixth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise would star Margot Robbie as a new character. However, this is not necessarily a permanent new direction for the franchise, as Bruckheimer clarified, “We’re developing two Pirates scripts. One with her, one without.” Depp first debuted as Captian Jack Sparrow back in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He earned an Academy Award nomination for the role, and went on to reprise in four more films: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), At World’s End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). However, it was first reported in 2018 that Depp will not be returning as Captain Jack.

“I think he’s had a great run. Obviously, he’s made that character his own and it’s become the character he’s most famous for now,” screenwriter Stuart Beattie previously told the Daily Mail. “And kids all over the world love him as that character so I think it’s been great for him, it’s been great for us, so I’m just very, very happy about it.”

“I think Jack Sparrow will be his legacy. It’s the only character he’s played five times, it’s the character he dresses up in to visit children in hospitals, it’s what he’ll be remembered for,” Beattie added of Depp. “Before Jack Sparrow came along, [Depp] was considered this kind of quirky, independent actor that made these really cool little Tim Burton films, but he was by no means a movie star and a lot of people thought we were crazy for casting him at the time.”

While it has not been explicitly stated, many have speculated that Disney decided to severe times with Depp due to his legal troubles with ex-wife Amber Heard. The actress has accused Depp of physical and verbal abuse, which he has denied. Depp has not been formally charged or arrested by law enforcement, but the pair are currently locked in a heated civil trial, wherein Depp is suing Heard for slander over a Washington Post editorial she wrote about an unnamed alleged abuser who is believed to be Depp.