Captain Jack Sparrow no more. Despite rumors that Johnny Depp was in negotiations to return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise to reprise the lead role of the comedic captain, Depp has confirmed he will not be returning after Disney "abandoned" him during the Amber Heard trial.
For nearly two decades, Depp played the lead role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the incredibly successful franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean. A role that Disney was getting ready to build a sixth film around just before the Edward Scissorhands star was accused of domestic violence against his ex-wife, Heard.
In a move to distance themselves from the actor who described himself as "guilty before proven innocent," Disney instead scrapped the film. Not only did this show fans of the Sweeney Todd star that Disney believed Depp was guilty, but it also showed Depp how little allegiance the company and executives had to him after a solid, decades-long professional relationship. They essentially "abandoned" him and Depp held a grudge for it.
While Depp was eventually found innocent, he found out who his true friends were and who was just there to ride on his coattails of fame. As such, when Disney floated the idea of a sixth installment of Pirates to Depp, he rejected it. And continued to do so even when Disney executives chose to be more ambiguous about it.
Disney Executives Sent A Letter Of Apology To Johnny Depp After The Trial
Johnny Depp on the red carpet
During the trial, executives did all they could to distance themselves and the company from Depp and his movies with the family-friendly Disney. But, after Depp was found innocent, executives recognized the error of their ways and reportedly sent a letter of apology with an offer to reprise Captain Jack Sparrow. However, a non-response was all the company allegedly received, making it clear that Depp wanted nothing to do with Disney or their franchise films.
"I know corporate sent him a gift basket with a very heartfelt letter, but I'm unsure how it was received," A source close to Disney revealed. "But what I can tell you is that the studio has already penned up a draft for a film about Jack Sparrow — so they are very hopeful that Johnny will forgive them and return as his iconic character."
It was never confirmed whether this was a rumor or not. But what was made clear after rumors swirled about Depp returning to reprise his iconic pirate role was that there was no way he would ever work Disney again, regardless of the size of the paycheck.
Rumors Were Shut Down When Disney Claimed Johnny Depp Was "Noncommittal" As Jack Sparrow
While testifying under oath, Depp commented that there was no way he would work with Disney again after they turned their back on him. This included if they were to offer him "$300 million and one million alpacas." As such, it came as a bit of a surprise when executives said Depp was "noncommittal" to returning to Pirates of the Caribbean versus giving Disney a flat-out "no."
"We think we have a really good, exciting story that honors the films that have come before but also has something new to say," President of Production, Sean Bailey stated.
But when asked if Depp would be returning, Bailey's answer was that Depp was "noncommittal at this point."
Depp's team stepped in to make it clear that Depp had no interest in returning to work with Disney. And as a result, according to Disney Dining, regardless of what Disney wanted to throw his way, Depp's forever answer would be a resounding, "no."
