Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean is preparing to head back to theaters, and longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer has revealed that the next chapter may not leave all of its old crew behind.
Audiences first met Captain Jack Sparrow in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a film that shocked skeptics by becoming a runaway success. Johnny Depp’s quirky take on the pirate captain became the center of a five-film franchise that spanned more than a decade, alongside Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner and Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann.
Depp’s character became the franchise’s signature, and his paycheck reflected that. The actor reportedly earned $90 million for Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017. But while the films thrived, Depp soon faced personal and professional storms.
In 2020, he lost a libel case against The Sun in the U.K., with the court ruling that calling him a “wife-beater” was “substantially true.” Disney cut ties, and Warner Bros. replaced him with Mads Mikkelsen in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), which underperformed at the box office.
Depp later launched a $50 million defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, who countersued for $100 million. The 2022 Virginia trial became a media spectacle, with the jury ultimately awarding Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages (reduced to $350,000). Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.
During the trial, Depp was clear about his feelings toward Disney, testifying that not even “$300 million and a million alpacas” could bring him back to Pirates. “That is true, Mr. Rottenborn,” he said in court.
Despite that declaration, Bruckheimer has hinted at a possible reunion. Speaking with Screen Rant’s Ash Crossan in 2025, the producer confirmed Pirates 6 is in development and teased that returning actors may be involved:
Jerry Bruckheimer: We’re working on a screenplay. Hopefully we’ll get it right–and then we’ll make it. We really want to make it, that’s for sure.
ScreenRant: A continuation or something new?
Bruckheimer: It’ll be a new take on it.
ScreenRant: New take, new actors?
Jerry Bruckheimer: Well, not all new actors. We’ll have some back.
ScreenRant: Okay…
Bruckheimer: I’m not going to tell you which ones–you’ll have to guess.
Meanwhile, Bloom has said he’s open to revisiting Will Turner. On ITV’s This Morning, he explained: “There's been all kinds of things. Who knows? There's been talk. I can't say anything at the moment, because I really don't know. They're definitely… I think they're trying to work out what it would all look like. I, personally, think it would be great to get the band back together. That would be great. But there are always different ideas, so we'll see where it lands.”
The Black Pearl Gets a New Name
While Pirates prepares to continue on-screen, changes are surfacing in its merchandise. LEGO and Disney’s latest set will no longer bear the Black Pearl name, instead releasing as “Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship.”
“The name reflects an internal creative decision by the LEGO Group and The Walt Disney Company,” the LEGO Group explained in response to a fan on Instagram. Speaking with Brick Fanatics, LEGO designer Mike Psiaki shed light on the decision process:
“I’ll give you the most boring answer, which is I can’t say,” Psiaki said. “It’s an internal thing that, unfortunately, we’re just not going to talk about. But as a designer, we are quite removed from the naming process of the product.”
Psiaki elaborated: “As we’re making something, we’ll give suggestions at certain points in the process, but the naming, the packaging, all of these things actually happen quite a bit later, once the model development itself is done. But on this one, I actually heard the initial proposal: ‘We’re going to call it Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship.’ And I said, ‘You have to put in Captain.’ They always forget the captain. You have to put that in there.”
This isn’t the first time a major LEGO tie-in has been retitled. Years ago, Boba Fett’s Slave 1 was changed to “Boba Fett’s Starship” for its LEGO release.
The Franchise’s Future
Two Pirates projects appear to be charting a course: a sixth mainline entry and a Margot Robbie-led spinoff. Robbie previously suggested her film had been shelved, but Bruckheimer has continued to insist it could still move forward. For now, Pirates 6 is the priority.
According to Variety, “nothing has been ruled out” regarding Depp’s potential involvement. Reports in early 2025 suggested that Disney had secured a soundstage for Pirates 6, adding fuel to speculation.
The approach would mirror other modern “legacy sequels” by combining veteran stars with newcomers, much like Star Wars: Episode VII–The Force Awakens (2015).
If Disney does bring Depp back, cost will be a major factor. His previous deals placed him among the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and duplicating that payday would be significant—especially as Disney navigates a market where 2025's Snow White, Captain America: Brave New World, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps have faced challenges.
Still, Depp’s core fanbase remains strong. His 2024 drama Modi kept him on the screen, but a Pirates comeback could redefine his standing in Hollywood.
Between Bruckheimer teasing familiar characters, Bloom’s willingness to return, and ongoing rumors about Depp, speculation about Pirates’ next voyage is running high. The question now is whether Disney is ready to stake its treasure on bringing Jack Sparrow back.
