The next Pirates of the Caribbean may have found a way to bring Johnny Depp back without handing him the entire ship. Margot Robbie is reportedly set to lead the new story, while Depp is in talks to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in a supporting role.
Long-time Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed at D23 that discussions with Depp are under way as Disney works on a new screenplay.
«We’re talking with Johnny, we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done,» Bruckheimer told Deadline. Depp has played Sparrow in all five Pirates films released between 2003 and 2017.
Sources briefed on the project said the next chapter is not simply another Jack Sparrow adventure. Instead, the story would focus on Robbie’s character, with Sparrow appearing as a side character – effectively giving the franchise a new lead while keeping its most famous face.
Two Pirates projects may be finding a new direction
Robbie has long been associated with Disney. She joined Birds of Prey collaborator Christina Hodson‘s 2020 female-led Pirates project. Robbie thought Disney had dropped the idea in 2022, but Bruckheimer insisted it was still alive.
Bruckheimer said Disney was developing two films in 2024: a Jeff Nathanson reboot and a Robbie project. He told Entertainment Weekly, «We hope to get ’em both made.»
The latest Deadline report places Robbie at the centre of the next instalment and suggests that Sparrow may return around her. It is unclear if the previously separate projects have been merged.
Even negotiations are a significant change for Depp. Sparrow last appeared in Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017, and his Disney future was uncertain for years. Bruckheimer told Entertainment Weekly in 2024 that he would include Depp «if it was up to me» and wanted him back.
