The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise may be canceled altogether soon.
A $6.5 billion franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean became an unlikely hit with Disney fans. When the first movie came out, many insiders expected a disappointing box office number, but they were proven wrong rather quickly. The franchise would go on to be one of the top box office attractions ever, and most of that had to do with one character: Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp has been in the midst of his own legal and personal battles. The actor, who played Captain Jack Sparrow in the past five films, recently finished up legal proceedings with his ex-wife Amber Heard following a defamation trial that took place last summer. Though Heard initially shared that she'd appeal the results, she ended up settling with Depp outside of court, paying the actor $1 million this past December. Since that point, Johnny Depp has moved to Europe and is reportedly focusing on developing his career overseas, with little interest in coming back to Hollywood for the time being.
Of course, Disney's relationship with Depp has been rocky at best. During the trial, the actor said he wouldn't return to Disney for $300 million. Even after the trial ended and many fans hoped we'd see a reunion, Pirates of the Caribbean Producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed that it seemed like a long shot that the two parties would come back together. Though Pirates of the Caribbean 6 was still reportedly on the docket, it seemed that Disney had moved forward with two scripts- one of which was to be developed over the other, which starred Margot Robbie- and neither of them involved Johnny Depp.
Now, however, it seems that a beloved actress has vowed to essentially end the franchise altogether.
Keira Knightley recently revealed in an interview that she was likely done with the character, sharing that she believed Elizabeth Swann Turner "sailed off nicely."
"What about Elizabeth Swann? I mean, she sailed away so nicely. She sailed away in brilliant style."
These comments from Knightley are interesting, to say the least. After Disney reportedly moved on from considering Dwayne Johnson for the role, the most likely scenario was that the company would pay for Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann Turner) and Orlando Bloom (Will Turner) to return to their roles and continue with the story that we saw during the end-credit scene. With Knightley essentially putting her character to bed, though, it would seem that the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise may be canceled altogether with her.
Though Disney may have leaked certain details in the past, it seems the company may now understand what a mistake it would be if it were to move forward with the franchise without Johnny Depp. Depp has garnered a loyal legion of fans who have spoken up loudly against another installment of the franchise without Captain Jack Sparrow, and it seems that they may have gotten their wish.
Things can certainly change, but for now, it would most definitely seem that if you want to experience anything new related to Pirates of the Caribbean, you'll have to head to Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort and find Captain Jack Sparrow himself.
What do you think Disney should do with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise moving forward? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!
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