Margot Robbie’s Pirates of the Caribbean project is officially dead, meaning there is a lot less standing in the way of a version of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 starring Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow. Originally announced in June 2020, Margot Robbie’s Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff has been in limbo for over two years. However, the actor recently confirmed that the project has been canceled due to a lack of interest from Disney (via Screen Rant).
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Robbie’s movie is officially not happening and the actor’s explanation for this is revealing. Robbie said her project was “a different kind of story,” which suggests Disney doesn’t want to stray too far from the franchise formula. This brings back the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise’s Jack Sparrow problem, with the series having no anchor without Johnny Depp’s antihero, but no way of bringing back Depp after his highly publicized exit. However, Depp’s return now looks more likely than ever before since Robbie’s exit removes a potential barrier to the production of a Depp-led Pirates of the Caribbean 6.
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What’s Been Said About Johnny Depp’s POTC Return
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said in May 2022 that there were 2 Pirates of the Caribbean projects in the works, the Robbie spinoff, and an unrelated sixth movie. He said Depp was not involved but “the future is yet to be decided.” An anonymous Disney executive was more forthcoming in June, saying “I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board.” If Disney kept the Robbie-led reboot in production, the studio would be less likely to need Depp’s star power to drive the franchise, but now that Robbie’s Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff isn’t happening, it looks more likely that Jack Sparrow could come back.
Depp’s Pirates Of The Caribbean Return Is Improbable, But Not Impossible
Between the actor’s highly public legal battle with Amber Heard and his accompanying career downswing, the odds of Depp’s return as Jack Sparrow have not looked promising in recent years. However, the news that Robbie’s Pirates of the Caribbean project is dead in the water makes the prospect far more viable. The Pirates of the Caribbean series doesn’t have an extended universe, any television spinoffs, or any other related media successes that imply the franchise can exist without Depp’s Jack Sparrow. In the last few years, the most successful Pirates of the Caribbean project has been a video game crossover with Sea of Thieves which relied heavily on Jack Sparrow’s starring role.
The fact that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will bring back the original movie’s screenwriter implies the creators have no other ideas for a new installment beyond returning to safe franchise formula. Not only that, but Disney was also willing to drop an A-list star’s reboot by canceling the Robbie spinoff, meaning the studio isn’t invested in a new or different take on the material. There are also million-strong petitions looking for Depp’s return and, judging by the poorly-received but profitable later sequels, the studio is less concerned with the quality of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies than the presence of their marketable star, making a Depp-led Pirates of the Caribbean 6 more likely than ever.
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