Will Johnny Depp Return? Orlando Bloom Weighs in on Pirates of the Caribbean 6

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 enters development as Orlando Bloom lends his two cents on Johnny Depp’s return as Jack Sparrow.

Orlando Bloom feels hopeful about Pirates of the Caribbean 6, but he has a single condition: he wants the original cast back.

This means Johnny Depp would need to return as Jack Sparrow, too, despite the elephant in the room.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor said:

Everything is in the writing, right? Everything is on the page, and I think there’s definitely, I’m sure there’s a way to create something.

I would personally love to see everybody back.

I think the way to win on that one is to get everybody back.

If they can, and if everybody wanted to go back.

Despite the mid-year media circus of 2022, Johnny Depp has been receiving a lukewarm homecoming since 2023’s Jeanne du Barry.

He is also headlining the upcoming Lionsgate action comedy, Day Drinker, with Pirates co-star Penélope Cruz.

Having thus redeemed himself in international circles, Depp may yet return as Jack Sparrow for the sixth installment.

With Bloom’s full support and Jerry Bruckheimer (the powerhouse Hollywood producing mogul) saying good things about the actor, Johnny Depp leading Pirates of the Caribbean 6 looks like a very real possibility.

Pirates of the Caribbean 6: Cast, Plot, and All You Need to Know

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With Orlando Bloom petitioning publicly and vocally for the original cast, Disney has a job to do.

The studio might bring back Bloom (as Will Turner), Keira Knightley (as Elizabeth Swann), and Johnny Depp (as Captain Jack Sparrow) for Pirates of the Caribbean 6.

Moreover, Jerry Bruckheimer, who has produced every Pirates film since 2003, raised a media storm after revealing that he spoke to Depp about the project: “If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it” [Entertainment Weekly].

Bloom is also not conservative about his demands for Pirates 6, claiming:

My thing is, if the script was great and — ideally it was everybody — it’d be kind of like in for a penny, in for a pound, you know.

What they’re thinking…is how to do it.

Do you bring in a female leading character that replicates Jack in some way? I don’t know.

The jury is out on how to do it again, but if [the script] was great, [I’d be in].

Meanwhile, the development of the film is already in progress.

Jeff Nathanson, the scriptwriter of the last Pirates movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales, is penning Pirates 6.

However, the plot and story details are still under wraps.

Given his strong ties to the franchise, Jerry Bruckheimer will return to produce.

The film, which is still in the early stages of conception, has not yet been given a release date.

What Johnny Depp’s Return Will Mean for Pirates of the Caribbean 6

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow [Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures].

Since Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard in May-June 2022, the Pirates franchise has been dead in the water (as has his reputation).

If Depp were to return, it would mean preparing for media outrage, fan backlash, and social media doxing, not to mention a potential theatrical boycott leading to box office failure.

However, Depp’s return is favorable for a Pirates film, considering how the actor has immortalized himself as Jack Sparrow, the franchise’s face and beating heart.

If the studio is smart about its PR and marketing strategy, public opinion may yet shift in the months leading up to the movie’s premiere.

The fate of Pirates 6 also depends a lot on the fate of Depp’s Lionsgate film, Day Drinkers.

If the film does well commercially and the actor is received warmly by the crowd, Disney will begin printing contract papers and making him sign on the dotted line.

Au contraire, Disney might also decide to run in the opposite direction with Pirates 6.

Given the franchise’s current status, with its last film being a major critical flop, Depp’s negative reputation could doubly harm Pirates 6, and leave no room for the franchise to heal and gain back favor with the fans.

Depp’s standing as a critical and commercial powerhouse still needs some testing, with his current age (62) and physicality being a deciding factor.

But if all goes in his favor, Pirates 6 will herald one of the biggest comeback arcs in Hollywood history.

Do you think Johnny Depp is the right fit for Pirates 6, or should Disney reboot the whole franchise and follow in the footsteps of HBO’s Harry Potter?.

All Pirates of the Caribbean movies are available to stream on Disney+.