Johnny Depp says he would turn down Disney if they offered him a role in Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Depp's recent comments came from his cross-examination during the defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp is currently suing Heard for $50 million stemming from accusations the Aquaman actress made in a Washington Post op-ed she penned in 2018. Though she never mentioned Depp by name, Heard used her alleged experiences as an abuse victim to back the op-ed. Depp claims Heard's assertions destroyed his career, reputation, and life.
Depp rose to mega-star status for his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's 2003 blockbuster hit, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Beloved by fans, the actor would go on to play the character in four additional films in the franchise. Although Depp's character was well-received by fans and critics, Disney made the decision to block his return to any future Pirates of the Caribbean projects, including a long in-development sixth film. Due to the allegations surrounding Depp's personal life, Disney's decision reportedly came from the fear his reputation may tarnish the family-friendly nature of the franchise. Depp was also let go from Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts franchise for a similar reason. While fans may be bummed by his absence from future Pirates of the Caribbean movies, it seems the star may not have returned anyway.
Variety reports that Depp told the courtroom Wednesday that he would turn down the chance to return for Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Heard's attorney, Ben Rottenborn, cross-examined Depp on the stand and zeroed in on the actor's claims that Heard's op-ed cost him the role. Rottenborn bluntly asked Depp if it was true that the actor did not want to return to the franchise anyway, to which Depp replied, "that is true." View Rottenborn and Depp's back and forth exchange during Wednesday's cross examination below:
“The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film? Correct?”
Depp answered: “That is true, Mr. Rottenborn.”
During the cross examination, Rottenborn attempted to show that Disney had already made the decision to block Depp's return to the franchise before Heard wrote her op-ed. The attorney noted a Daily Mail piece from October 25, 2018 that mentioned Depp was "out as Jack Sparrow." Depp responded by saying he "wasn't aware of that," in reference to the piece, but it didn't surprise him considering, "Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe." However, Depp also was quick to point that even after cutting ties with the actor, Disney still featured his Pirates of the Caribbean character at their theme parks. Although Disney used Jack Sparrow for financial gain, Depp said that Disney "didn't want there to be something trailing behind [Depp] that they'd find."
While it seems Depp is now done with playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates franchise, at one time he could have made a cameo in future projects. However, given the tumultuous nature of his divorce to Heard, his return will never happen. Disney would be hard pressed to bring Depp back for Pirates of the Caribbean 6, even for just a small role. He has no interest in returning, and it might be better for him to move onto something new. Nevertheless, in order for Depp to win his case against Heard, he will have to show that Disney's decision came as a direct result of Heard's original op-ed, which may be a challenge to prove.
Source: Variety