It was 2017 since we last saw Captain Jack Sparrow on the big screen, and it was in 2007 when we last got a critically-acclaimed Pirates of the Caribbean movie. While it looked like Disney was done with the Jack Sparrow character, it does seem that they’re ready to bring Johnny Depp back aboard in some capacity.
As per insider Daniel Richtman (via @HollywoodHandle), the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is looking to have Depp back as Captain Sparrow for only a supporting role in the movie. We don’t have a solid plot yet, but the last update we got was that there were two POTC films in the works, one of which was being developed by Barbie star Margot Robbie.
For now, it doesn’t seem that Disney has any idea where to take the franchise without Depp as one of the central characters, but with all the issues surrounding Depp and his very messy public feud with ex-wife Amber Heard, it made sense that they would step back from all the controversy before any Pirates film could push forward.
If you ask me, Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow has kind of been overplayed in the last two films. After all, he started out as an anti-hero in the franchise and was more of a co-lead alongside Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). They just decided to shift focus to him after World’s End, and though the character of Jack is fun, he doesn’t allow for any kind of meaningful arc compared to a more traditional protagonist.
Then again, that’s just my take.
A sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film has not been officially announced.
