Like the cursed crew of the Black Pearl in the original Pirates of the Caribbean, it seems that the franchise is set to sail the cinematic seas forever in a state of perpetual zombie repetition, presided over by an increasingly uncharismatic Johnny Depp. Though 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales received terrible reviews and was a domestic box office disappointment, it cleaned up overseas and eventually turned in a healthy profit, with Disney making plans to put out a sixth entry in the franchise. But there’s one long-time crew member who’s now abandoned ship: Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann.
Though her role in The Curse of the Black Pearl was instrumental in propelling Knightley to the A-list, she hasn’t played a huge part in the movies since 2007’s At World’s End – though she made a cameo in Dead Men Tell No Tales. That short moment looks like it’s going to be her last appearance in the role, however.
But why is she walking the plank? Is it boredom with the character? Frustration with the increasingly overstuffed scripts? Or maybe some sea sickness?
Well, according to the actress, it’s something far more prosaic. She simply can’t find the time to appear in the franchise given her busy schedule and how long these movies take to shoot. That’s a decent answer, though I suspect it’s also a diplomatic one. After all, her cameo in Dead Men Tell No Tales can’t have taken that long to film, so I suspect the real reason is that Knightley (correctly) thinks that it’s time to move past the admittedly entertaining corset-bustin’, swash-bucklin’ action.
Her relationship with Disney sounds rock solid though, with her playing the Sugar Plum Fairy in Joe Johnstone’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, due out this November. As for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, well, like we said above, the studio’s moving forward with yet another installment and though we don’t know much about it just yet, it’s safe to say that Knightley certainly won’t be appearing in it.