For some time now, it seems that the future of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise has been lost at sea. The world has been waiting for confirmation of whether Johnny Depp would be reprising his role as the franchise's rum-guzzling frontman, Jack Sparrow. Now, legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that when a new chapter does set sail, it'll be a total reboot that may involve leaving Captain Jack behind for good.
Speaking to ComicBook.com about his upcoming film, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," Bruckheimer broke down what kind of tactics were being applied to both the future of the swashbuckling film series and the third installment of the "Top Gun" franchise. "You don't know how they come together. You just don't know," Bruckheimer admitted. "Because with 'Top Gun' you have an actor [Tom Cruise] who is iconic and brilliant. And how many movies he does before he does 'Top Gun,' I can't tell you. But we're gonna reboot 'Pirates,' so that is easier to put together because you don't have to wait for certain actors."
Bruckheimer's update might squash earlier reports this month that Johnny Depp may return in "Pirates Of The Caribbean 6" with the one condition of appearing in a supporting role. The more important matter though, is if the franchise can really carry on without him.
Can a Pirates franchise continue without Captain Jack Sparrow?
Following his very public trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, doubts quickly surfaced about whether the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise would continue without Johnny Depp as its leading man. The actor revealed during his defamation case in 2022 that he would never reprise the role of Jack Sparrow, but there has been a mild case of flip-flopping since. During that time, Margot Robbie briefly came aboard only to jump ship on a "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel that Depp was never a part of. Now, with the confirmation of a reboot, might there be even a little space for its former star in a cameo capacity? Well, it's not like he's never done it before.
The "Pirates" reboot could do like other film reboots and have Depp make a brief appearance or step in as supporting talent while a brand-new crew takes over. He did that with the "Jump Street" films, which spawned from the 1980s television show he previously starred in. Could the same happen for a future "Pirates" film? For now, we can only watch the horizon and see what the future holds for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" as more news develops or washes up on shore.
