Pirates of the Caribbean has been said to continue without Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean Continuing without Captain Jack Sparrow may seem like an impossible task, but the franchise has already proven how change is possible. Johnny Depp first played Jack in the first Pirates of the Caribbean MovieThe Curse of the Black Pearl. Jack became an immensely popular character following Curse of the Black Pearls critical and commercial success And was responsible for many of the movie’s most humorous, entertaining and memorable moments.

Depp reprized the role in the four Pirates of the Caribbean Sequels that followedAll of which put Jack at the center of their respective stories. Since the last sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Taleswas released in 2017, there was uncertainty about whether Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Will ever happen, and if the franchise will be able to continue if Depp doesn’t return. As integral as Jack’s character was to the success of the franchise, there is a way forward without him.

Jack Sparrow is the face of the franchise (but was never its only main character)

Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner are also main characters

In the first three Pirates of the Caribbean In the movies, Jack is one of only three main characters, with the other two being Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom). in Curse of the Black PearlElizabeth and Will’s relationship is the heart of the story, while Jack provides much of the comedy and swashbuckling adventure of the movie. Elizabeth and will have the most character development in the first installmentIncluding Will embracing his pirate heritage and making the decision to save Jack’s life during Curse of the Black PearlIt’s the end.

That made the first three Pirates of the Caribbean Movies work so well was the balance of Elizabeth, Will and Jack trio. This is one of the reasons why the fourth and fifth movies, On strange tides And Dead men tell no taleswere not so satisfactory. Elizabeth and Will are completely gone On strange tides And only have cameos in Dead men tell no tales. when Pirates of the Caribbean was at its best, it was not only Jack’s story, but also Elizabeth and Will’s storyAs they took on formidable forces ranging from Davy Jones to Sir Cutler Beckett and the British East India Trading Company.

Jack Sparrow always worked better as a wild card than as the protagonist

His unpredictable nature elevated the story

Part of the reason Jack became so popular is because of how chaotically unpredictable he was at Curse of the Black Pearl. The movie created a clear expectation of Elizabeth wanting to make noble and brave decisions. There was no such expectation for Jack, as he constantly pivoted on who he was aligned with and kept everyone guessing. About what he would do in the end. He worked best as a wild card, willing to make deals with the heroes and villains to get what he wanted, even when it meant betraying those who trusted him.

Jack immediately became less interesting during On strange tides And Dead men tell no tales When he became the protagonist. He was more predictable in this role and lost much of the spontaneity that made him an iconic character. It was during the fourth and fifth movies that the quality of the franchise began to decline. These stories prove that Jack as the protagonist is not the answer. whatever the answer is, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Can find it without Jack as the protagonist.

What is being said about Johnny Depp’s return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise

It was a controversial topic

Pirates of the Caribbean Producer Jerry Bruckheimer addressed Depp’s potential return through sharing “If it was up to me, of course. I love having Depp… He’s a great actor and a good friend… I’ve definitely talked to him, but we’ll see what happens.” This confirms that Depp is still involved in talks about returning to the franchiseAnd, most importantly, had this conversation with Bruckheimer, who produced all the previous movies and will produce the next one as well. Before Bruckheimer’s update, Depp was adamant about having no desire to return to the Disney series.

During the legal case involving Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard, he said that he would not return for Pirates of the Caribbean 6Even if he was offered $300 million to do it. After the allegations against him, Disney reportedly cut ties with Depp, not wanting to pursue him to return to the franchise. After the end of the legal case, a former Disney executive shared their belief in high chances of Depp returning as part of a reboot, although it is important to note that The comment about Depp coming back was purely speculative.

Pirates of the Caribbean shouldn’t try to replace Jack Sparrow (even if he can’t return)

These new characters don’t need to be the next Jack Sparrows

Regardless of whether Depp returns to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Disney should not attempt to replace its characters. Jack is a unique character brought to life by Depp’s outstanding performance. Any attempt to replace Jack with another character would feel hollow and would not live up to the beloved reputation surrounding Jack since he was first introduced on a rapidly sinking ship early in Curse of the Black Pearl. No other character can create the same level of chaos, humor and daring that made Jack a lovable wild card in the first place.

Instead of trying to create the next Jack Sparrow, the franchise should focus on introducing new pirate main characters who are noticeably different from Jack. As the name of the series suggests, the story is ultimately about the many pirates who occupy the Caribbean and is not just about the pirate named Jack Sparrow. The first three movies already proved how successful a story can be when led by a trio of main characters instead of just Jack at the forefront of the narrative. A new trio may come to the fore in Pirates of the Caribbean 6.

The new characters may still have connections to Jack, Elizabeth, Willand others established Pirates of the Caribbean characters, including Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), and Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario). Some of the familiar faces may even appear in the next installment of the franchise. The new leading Pirates of the Caribbean Characters should have their own stories and expand the scope of what pirates are and what they are capable of as they search for mystical treasures and chart a new course for the series.