It’s been well over three years since Disney first announced that Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow would no longer be the focal point of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but fans have completely and utterly rejected that notion.
There are currently two swashbuckling blockbusters in development, one that will act as a direct sequel to Dead Men Tell No Tales, and the other a spinoff being developed by Birds of Prey duo Margot Robbie and Christina Hodson. Petitions and campaigns to see Depp reinstated have gathered millions of online backers, so it’s clear that a large section of the intended target audience simply have no interest in a high seas adventure without Captain Jack.
That brings us to a new rumor emanating from Giant Freakin Robot, who claim that Disney are developing a solo Jack Sparrow project, but they have no intention of allowing Depp to reprise the role. Bear in mind, there is precisely zero information provided beyond that as to the who, what, when, where and most importantly why, so it’s about as vague as it gets.
The Mouse House may be confident enough that Pirates of the Caribbean can exist without Jack Sparrow, but a solo outing would be franchise suicide. Can you imagine how people would react? Who would be foolish enough to step into Depp’s shoes? What purpose could it possibly fill? What would it actively achieve from a creative or commercial perspective? All of these questions, and many more, remain unanswered for now.