Movies

Johnny Depp won’t return to Pirates of the Caribbean anytime soon – but Margot Robbie could take over lead role


Johnny Depp won’t be returning as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, producer confirms
(Picture: REX / AFP)

Jerry Bruckheimer has ruled out Johnny Depp returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The 78-year-old Hollywood producer revealed that he is working on a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel with Margot Robbie in the lead instead.

When asked whether the axed star, who is on a defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, will be back, he told The Sunday Times’ Culture magazine: ‘Not at this point. The future is yet to be decided.’

On reports that a female-fronted reboot of the original series is happening, the producer – whose blockbuster movies Top Gun and Bad Boys made stars out of Tom Cruise and Will Smith – added: ‘Yes. We are talking to Margot Robbie.

‘We are developing two Pirates scripts – one with her, and one without.’

Depp played Captain Jack Sparrow in five instalments of the films and alleges that he was dropped from the franchise after ex-wife Amber wrote a December 2018 op-ed in which she alluded to allegations of domestic abuse.

Depp’s attorney Jessica Meyer claimed that the actor was interested in reprising his role in the sixth instalment in 2018, to give his character a proper send-off.

Johnny as the iconic Jack Sparrow (Picture: Disney/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

’My feeling was that these characters should be able to have their proper goodbye,’ Depp testified during the trial in April. ‘There’s a way to end a franchise like that… I planned on continuing until it was time to stop.’

He later agreed that even if Disney offered him all the money ‘on this earth’ he wouldn’t return to the film.

Heard’s lawyer Ben Rottenborn said in court: ‘The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a Pirates of the Caribbean film? Correct?’

‘That is true, Mr. Rottenborn,’ he agreed.

The 58-year-old actor explained how ‘there was a deep and distinct sense of feeling betrayed by the people that I’ve worked hard for. People that I delivered a character to that they initially despised, but I stuck to my guns with the character and it seemed to work.’

Meanwhile, during the trial, Depp also said he took great pride in creating Jack Sparrow, and that his take on the character deviated from the one originally written in the script.

Margot Robbie is in talks to lead a female-fronted Pirates of the Caribbean (Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Jerry Bruckheimer with Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly and Tom Cruise at the premiere for Top Gun: Maverick
(Picture: Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

‘I incorporated my notes into the character and brought that character to life, much to the chagrin of Disney initially,’ he testified. ‘I believed in the character wholeheartedly, and initially, the Disney folks were somewhat upset.’

It was reported back in March 2020 that Margot and Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson were re-teaming for a female-fronted movie for Disney.

The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the film would feature a wholly original story with new characters under the Pirates moniker.

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