3 Reasons Why Johnny Depp Should Not Return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

Since Johnny Depp won his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, many fans have been urging Disney to bring Depp back for another Pirates of the Caribbean movie. A recent rumor came out suggesting Depp was returning in a $301 million deal. However, representatives for Depp were quick to debunk the rumor, saying it isn’t true. 

While many fans want to see Johnny Depp play Jack Sparrow once again, the question remains as to whether Depp should return to the franchise at all. He is great as the character, but maybe it’s for the best that he leaves Captain Jack sailing off into the sunset.

Here are 3 reasons why Johnny Depp should not return to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

The actor could still create bad PR for Disney

Depp did win his case against Heard and had overwhelming support from his fans on the internet. The jury found that Heard acted with malice and knew that many of her allegations were false in the 2018 op-ed she published in The Washington Post. However, it’s important to remember that Depp is still not fully innocent, according to the jury’s verdict. The jury found that Depp had defamed Heard on one count, but the verdict was still in Depp’s favor.

Still, Johnny Depp is not off the hook with many, and seeing him return to Pirates of the Caribbean could be a dividing factor for many people. Disney is already experiencing several bad PR issues and wouldn’t want to add something else to the pile. Warner Bros. has been dealing with several controversial actors, including Heard and Ezra Miller, and Disney would want to avoid dealing with other problematic actors. 

‘Pirates 5’ gave Jack Sparrow a solid ending

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End would’ve been a good place for the franchise to stop. However, Disney decided to move forward with a fourth movie and then a following fifth entry. While Dead Men Tell No Tales is not the most beloved entry in the franchise, it did give Jack Sparrow and the other characters a good ending. 

Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and William Turner (Orlando Bloom) finally get to live happily ever after and Jack Sparrow sets sail on another adventure. With Will Turner’s storyline wrapped up, there isn’t anywhere else this franchise can go with these characters unless they create something entirely new. Sure, there could be an interesting new story with Jack to tell but it also could be better to leave it as it is. 

The franchise needs some new blood

Johnny Depp is the beating heart of Pirates of the Caribbean, but the franchise was already beginning to run dry by the fifth movie. There was less interest in the series and that translated over at the box office. Petitions have shown there is still interest in seeing Depp return, but Disney is better off going in a new direction.

Disney is already in the process of doing that with two new projects, according to producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer told The Sunday Times that they are working on two new Pirates projects: one with Margot Robbie and another without. He didn’t deny that Depp would be coming back, but he also didn’t suggest it would be happening. Either way, the Pirates franchise was losing steam, even before this trial, suggesting it’s time to tell a new story with new characters.