Back in the day, Johnny Depp thought he’d get fired from the first Pirates of the Caribbean flick. Now, almost two decades later, it’s finally happening.
Much to the chagrin of fans, the disgraced actor will not be returning for any future installments of the series following his very public court case. The verdict ultimately determined that there was enough evidence available for the 57-year-old to be labeled a domestic abuser in print without it being libellous. Yikes.
Not only that, but according to insider Daniel Richtman, Disney is reportedly considering writing Depp’s character out of the cinematic universe by mentioning in an upcoming film that Jack Sparrow died somehow without ever actually showing his body. This way, they leave the door open to potentially bringing back the performer if he ever wins a retrial or public opinion of him shifts. As of right now, he’s definitely still on the outs, but the House of Mouse seemingly wants to make sure they can resurrect the beloved protagonist just in case things turn around.
“Pirates franchise will write off Depp by saying Sparrow died off screen, but as long as you don’t see a body he could maybe come back in the future,” says the tipster.
Iconic film producer Jerry Bruckheimer has reportedly been talking with the studio in hopes of bringing back the accused wife beater, though his efforts at persuading those at the family-friendly company have thus far been unsuccessful. While Depp would much rather remain a fixture in the franchise as he tries to rehabilitate his image, he can at least find comfort in the fact that there’s still a slim chance he may be able to one day return as the off-kilter captain.
Tell us, though, would you like to see the actor back in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, or are you glad that the folks at the top are writing his character out of the series? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think!