Pirates of the Caribbean Producer Addresses Johnny Depp’s Future as Captain Jack Amid Amber Heard Trial

The return of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean is unlikely at this time.

During an interview, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer commented on Johnny Depp‘s future involvement with the series while discussing his plans with The Sunday Times on May 15. In all five Pirates of the Caribbean installments, Depp played Sparrow. The most recent film is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, in which he reprised his role as Sparrow.

Bruckheimer is now working on two more projects. When asked if Depp will be back, Bruckheimer simply told the publication, “Not at this point. The future is yet to be decided.”

Meanwhile, he did reveal that he has spoken to Margot Robbie about being in one of the two Pirates of the Caribbean scripts currently under development.

Johnny Depp is involved in a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, who accused him of smearing his reputation with fabricated accusations of domestic violence outlined in a Washington Post essay she wrote last year. Heard initiated a $100 million countersuit against Depp, alleging that he defamed her by calling her claims an “elaborate hoax.”

During the case, Depp stated that he has no desire to reprise his role as Jack Sparrow in future Pirates of the Caribbean installments. When Heard’s counsel asked Depp, “The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney offered you $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?”

And Depp replied, “That is true, Mr. Rottenborn.”

Depp discussed the Pirates franchise in court when he was asked about a Daily Mail article from 2018 that stated that Depp was “out as Jack Sparrow,” per Variety.

“I wasn’t aware of that, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Depp testified. “Two years had gone by of constant worldwide talk about me being this wife beater. So I’m sure that Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe. The #MeToo movement was in full swing at that point.”

Depp’s representative Jack Whinham stated that the allegations prevented Depp from being considered for the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie and the $22.5 million that would come with it.Getty Images

“After the op-ed it was impossible to get him a studio film,” Whigham said, per Variety.

It now appears that Johnny Depp will not be joining the pirate crew in the near future.