Some franchises just wouldn’t be right without certain stars, and it’s fair to say that Disney‘s multi-billion dollar seafaring franchise is one of them. Johnny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow are undoubtedly, and intrinsically, linked and it may well end up being his defining role at the end of the day but it seemed like, after five movies, billions of dollars at the box office, and a rather spectacular amount of controversy, Captain Jack’s days were numbered. Not so.
Depp has confirmed that he’s open to returning as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney‘s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but he’s got his own. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight while promoting his new movie Ebenezer, Depp said he would happily reunite with longtime franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer, although his involvement would depend on the direction of the story.
If things are exactly where they need to be with regard to how they are going to top off the ‘Pirates’ franchise… the only involvement I really want to have, truly, is just to send them off on a better note. I will go to work with [Jerry] Bruckheimer tomorrow for anything. Doesn’t matter… if it’s Jerry, i trust him. We have a deep friendship.
Depp originally debuted as Sparrow in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, delivering a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He subsequently returned for Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, On Stranger Tides, and Dead Men Tell No Tales, with the five movies collectively earning more than $4.5 billion worldwide.
Will Johnny Depp Return for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’?
Bruckheimer has remained enthusiastic about bringing Depp back, previously confirming that he’d spoken with the actor about returning for a sixth movie. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly in 2025, the producer explained that the decision would ultimately depend on the quality of the screenplay.
If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it. It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know… We are still working on a screenplay. We want to make it. We just got to get the right screenplay. We haven’t quite gotten there yet, but we’re close.
The next installment has been in development for several years, with Jeff Nathanson, who previously wrote Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, working on the screenplay. Bruckheimer previously revealed that Nathanson had made significant progress on the movie, particularly its conclusion.
He’s cracked it. He’s got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then we’ll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act.
Bruckheimer has also made no secret of his admiration for Depp, previously explaining why he believes the actor remains such an important part of the franchise.
It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, [Johnny] would be in it. I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack. That was not on the page, that was him doing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow.
Disney has not officially confirmed Johnny Depp‘s return or announced a release date for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. All five previous installments are streaming now on Disney+.
via Collider