A petition to bring back Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is nearing its 500,000 signature goal. Depp originated the role of Jack Sparrow in the 2003 film Curse of the Black Pearl. Depp went on to play Jack Sparrow in four more movies based on the iconic ride at Disney World. The franchise's fifth film, Dead Men Tell No Tales, came out in 2017 and received mixed reviews from critics on its way to make nearly $800 million worldwide.
Since 2017, though, things have changed for Depp. He has been embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. Both Heard and Depp allege that the relationship was both physically and emotionally abusive. The pair settled their divorce, but litigation has continued in various forms. The most recent ruling against Depp in the UK prompted WB to ask Depp to resign from Fantastic Beasts 3, and industry insiders have said that it's challenging to work with Depp given the events.
Still, Depp has maintained a group of vocal fans. Disney reportedly blocked Depp from returning to the franchise, but fans started a petition on Change calling for Depp to be reinstated as Jack Sparrow in a proposed sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. This film is separate from the Margot Robbie-led spinoff that is also in the works. The petition has a goal of 500,000 signatures, and, as of this writing, it is just short of that goal with 477,263 signatures and counting. The petition was started more than two years ago and has seen bumps in interest as Depp continues to make headlines.
Bringing back Depp is a tricky prospect. Despite his fans' fervent base, some in the industry have called the star toxic to work with, and his box office power has waned considerably. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald touted Depp as one of its co-leads, but that film failed to garner much audience interest, which likely spurred WB's decision to replace him with Mads Mikkelsen. It remains unclear if Disney would even be willing to give Depp the chance to return. If a major studio like Warner Bros. is unwilling to work with the onetime Hollywood powerhouse, it's unlikely the House of Mouse would be on board.
All in all, it may just be time to retire the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The untitled sixth film has been in the works since 2017, but development has seemingly stalled as Disney searches for a way to move forward without Depp. The Robbie-led spinoff is one way to do that, but only time will tell if that film can drum up much excitement. Robbie herself is at the top of her game, but Pirates of the Caribbean may be too tainted and too past its prime to stage the comeback some fans seemingly want.
Source: Change