The defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continues this week, but it appears that a majority of viewers have already chosen a side despite the court not having reached a verdict yet. With that in mind, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer provided an update on Depp's chances of returning to the franchise.
Advocates of Depp share the belief that appropriate justice for the veteran actor would not only be winning the libel case, but also getting back the roles that he may have lost due to Heard's allegations against him. Among those roles is a stint in Disney's next Pirates of the Caribbean film, which he had been removed from during the height of the former couple's legal drama.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Bruckheimer, the producer of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, was asked whether he thinks Depp could return as Captain Jack Sparrow anytime soon. His response was short, but not necessarily sweet: "Not at this point. The future is to be decided." The prevailing assumption is that Disney will not make any decisions regarding Depp's future with the studio until the defamation trial has been concluded.
Depp himself is even less optimistic about his chances of mending his relationship with Disney. During his testimony in the earlier stages of the legal proceedings, he said that no matter the outcome of the trial, he has already lost. He explained that the allegations Heard made against him will stay with him forever regardless of their validity and that he has no choice but to accept that his life is ruined forever. He also said that he is done with Pirates of the Caribbean entirely, which was heartbreaking for many fans to hear.
After almost half a decade since the last Pirates of the Caribbean film graced the big screen, Disney is now ready to push out a sixth. In 2020, it was announced that the next installment would feature a principal female cast led by Margot Robbie. However, fans have been outspoken about their desire to see Depp reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow.
They have even started a petition to reinstate Depp as the iconic character, and it has already garnered over 800,000 signatures. Pirates of the Caribbean is a franchise that Depp helped build from the ground up, and many critics regard his portrayal of the drunken buccaneer as one of the best acting performances of his career. Some have even pledged to boycott the next film if Depp is not in it, as a show of solidarity for the Pirates actor.
Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is reportedly in development at Disney.
Source: The Sunday Times