With a jury ruling that vindicates Johnny Depp in the eyes of millions of moviegoers, might a comeback to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise be on the horizon?
A jury determined that Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard defamed him by faking charges of domestic abuse after a six-week trial, and she was forced to pay $15 million in damages.
For his die-hard fans, the judgement proved that Depp was not a sexual abuser and that his cinematic career should not have been jeopardized.
Depp claimed throughout the trial that Heard’s claims lost him his job as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
When the charges against Depp began to generate unwanted press, the actor stated that all discussions regarding a potential sixth picture came to a halt.
He claims he felt “betrayed” when Disney broke connections with him after so many years of working on the property.
But perhaps fans’ dreams for a comeback of Jack Sparrow to the big screen shouldn’t be shattered just yet.
A former Walt Disney Studios official told People magazine in a new interview that Disney will most likely send Depp an invitation to return for another picture.
With the defamation trial ruling basically clearing his record, the exec believes that nothing should stand in the way of Disney reconciling with Depp, given the enormous fan interest in making it happen.
“I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Captain Jack back on board. There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture. With [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer riding high on the massive success of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, there is huge appetite for bringing back bankable Hollywood stars in massively popular franchises.”
