Producer of the Pirates of the Caribbean films Jerry Bruckheimer discusses whether Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow could be killed off as the actor recovers from his infamous legal battles with Amber Heard. Depp quickly established himself as the leading man of Disney’s swashbuckling series based on their theme park attraction, and his portrayal of the rowdy and eccentric pirate captain in the first movie even earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Sparrow would play the lead role in each of the five Pirates of the Caribbean films, but his future was in jeopardy due to legal issues involving his ex-wife and the generally negative reviews and weak box office performance of his most recent movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Jerry Bruckheimer discussed the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about his extensive career. When asked if Depp’s Jack Sparrow might be killed off, the accomplished producer dismissed the idea, recalling how they had tried to do so in the past but it had failed. Watch what Bruckheimer said after this:
“You can’t [kill Captain Jack Sparrow]. We tried to kill him. It didn’t work.”
Will Johnny Depp Return To Pirates of the Caribbean?
Bruckheimer has remained upbeat about the prospect of Depp returning for a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel at some point in the future, confirming that both it and Margot Robbie’s spinoff are still in the development stages, though he points out that the former is receiving priority at Disney. Depp, however, appeared to rule out a comeback during the recent trial between him and Heard by declaring that he would turn down a $300 million offer to reprise the role of Jack Sparrow. The Golden Globe winner claimed that his lack of interest in returning for Pirates of the Caribbean was due to his strained relationship with Disney, but he hasn’t said anything further about his potential return in the six months since he won his trial.
Should Jack Sparrow Be Killed Off In Pirates Of The Caribbean?
Even if Depp does come back, many viewers still wonder if Jack Sparrow should continue to be the main character in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Despite being the standout character of the first movie, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, played by Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley respectively, are generally regarded as the protagonists of the first three stories. Their lives were drastically altered when Jack entered their worlds. While Jack was the main focus of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, its sequel, Dead Men Tell No Tales, shifted the attention back to Will and Elizabeth and Henry, played by Brenton Thwaites, as he searches for a way to escape his father’s curse aboard the Flying Dutchman.
Even though Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales did end with a post-credits stinger hinting at Bill Nighy’s Davy Jones’s comeback, it still mostly wrapped up all of Jack’s threads, with him reclaiming the Black Pearl and continuing his seafaring captaining. There seems to be very little left to cover for Depp’s character in the future, save for giving him a final chapter, with the 2017 movie even going so far as to retcon some of Jack’s origin story. The Pirates of the Caribbean films are still available to watch on Disney+ while fans wait for information on Depp’s potential comeback and the franchise’s overall future.
Source: THR