Johnny Depp Says He Would Return as Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’ for One Reason

Hollywood — Johnny Depp Says He Would Return as Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’ for One Reason

Johnny Depp has spoken about the possibility of returning as Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean 6,” although he has yet to confirm whether he will reprise the iconic role. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight while promoting his upcoming film “Ebenezer,” the Oscar-nominated actor said he would always be willing to work with longtime friend and franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

When asked about potentially joining the next instalment, Depp explained that his interest would depend on how the filmmakers intend to conclude the franchise.

“If things are exactly where they need to be with regard to how they are going to top off the ‘Pirates’ franchise… the only involvement I really want to have, truly, is just to send them off on a better note,” Depp said.

He also made clear that his relationship with Bruckheimer would be a major factor in any potential collaboration.

“I will go to work with [Jerry] Bruckheimer tomorrow for anything. Doesn’t matter… if it’s Jerry, i trust him. We have a deep friendship.”

Bruckheimer previously discussed the possibility of Depp returning in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in summer 2025, revealing that he had spoken with the actor about another “Pirates” movie. At the time, the producer was optimistic that Jack Sparrow could appear again, provided Depp approved of the material.

“If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it. It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know… We are still working on a screenplay. We want to make it. We just got to get the right screenplay. We haven’t quite gotten there yet, but we’re close,” Bruckheimer said.

Depp portrayed Jack Sparrow across five “Pirates” films released between 2003 and 2017. Every instalment earned more than $650 million at the worldwide box office, while 2006’s “Dead Man’s Chest” and 2011’s “On Stranger Tides” each surpassed $1 billion.

The actor’s future in the Disney-backed franchise has remained uncertain following his legal battles, including his 2022 defamation trial against Amber Heard. Depp is now working toward a return to Hollywood, with the Paramount-backed holiday film “Ebenezer” marking part of his comeback this month. The five “Pirates” movies featuring Depp have collectively generated $4.5 billion worldwide.

Plans for a sixth film have been developing for several years. In summer 2020, Variety reported that Disney was working on two separate “Pirates” projects: a reboot starring Margot Robbie and another instalment continuing the original franchise.

Robbie later told Vanity Fair in November 2022 that Disney was not interested in moving forward with her proposed film, which she described as being “more of a female-led” project.

Meanwhile, Bruckheimer revealed in summer 2024 that screenwriter Jeff Nathanson, who wrote 2017’s “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” had joined the sixth film’s development.

“He’s cracked it,” Bruckheimer said about Nathanson’s screenplay. “He’s got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then we’ll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act.”

Around the same time, Bruckheimer also expressed his willingness to include Depp in the project, despite describing the film as a reboot.

“It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, [Johnny] would be in it. I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack. That was not on the page, that was him doing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow,” the producer said.

Depp’s most recent Hollywood studio release was 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” However, he now has two upcoming projects: “Ebenezer” and Lionsgate’s 2028 thriller “Day Drinker.”

His departure from the “Fantastic Beasts” series followed his 2020 libel case against The Sun. Depp sued the U.K. publication after it described him as a “wife beater,” but the court concluded that the characterisation was “substantially true.” Warner Bros. subsequently asked the actor to leave “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” with Mads Mikkelsen eventually taking over the role.

Another major legal battle followed in the United States in 2022, when Depp sued his former wife, Amber Heard, for defamation over an opinion piece she published in The Washington Post. In the article, Heard described herself as “a figure representing domestic abuse.”

The outcome was more favourable to Depp, with the jury finding that Heard had defamed him in the op-ed. However, the jury also determined that Depp had defamed Heard while responding to her allegations.