Final Decision: Disney Officially Replaces Johnny Depp

A recent decision out of Disneyland Resort has some guests convinced that the Mouse officially replaced Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

The change comes weeks after Disneyland Park premiered its updated Fantasmic!, which closed for over a year after a devastating animatronic fire in 2023. Disney Parks fans were excited to see refreshed versions of their favorite scenes, including one inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

However, Disneyland Resort removed Captain Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann from the nighttime spectacular. Instead, Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook, and friends set sail on the pirate ship once home to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The updated show came alongside a broader shift in attitudes about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which inspired the film series. Despite numerous recent updates, some guests still find the attraction offensive to modern cultural sensibilities and believe it should be replaced.

On the other hand, dedicated Pirates of the Caribbean fans believe The Walt Disney Company needs to make changes to save one of its most iconic movie franchises and attractions. Controversy began with accusations made against Captain Jack Sparrow himself, Johnny Depp.

After Depp won his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, some fans hoped that Walt Disney Studios would re-hire the swashbuckling star for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. However, the case isn’t so cut and dry.

Heard lost the Virginia civil trial after a jury found she defamed Depp by referring to herself as a “victim of domestic abuse” in an Op-Ed in The Washington Post. But when Depp waged a libel trial against The UK Sun, a magistrate judge found evidence corroborated the newspaper’s claim that the actor was a “wife beater.”

Depp has remained mostly quiet about Pirates of the Caribbean, instead playing music with The Hollywood Vampires and focusing on Jeanne Du Barry (2024). Still, some fans insist that the Disney franchise wouldn’t be the same without him.

Even minor changes to Captain Jack Sparrow ruffle some fans’ feathers. On Monday, Redditor u/EmikoNamika spoke out in the Disneyland Resort fan community after noticing a change in the character performers that took on Depp’s role at Disneyland Park.

“Did they change the actor at Disneyland Cali?” the concerned Disney Park guest asked. “I remember the actor last year looked exactly like Depp. Does he not work here anymore?”

Most commenters informed the guest that Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort employ numerous “friends” of each character to cover different shifts and performances. However, some agreed that the current crop of Captain Jack Sparrow actors doesn’t resemble Johnny Depp.

“They don’t look exactly like him,” u/TokyoTurtle0 wrote. “They look kinda close I guess if you’re far away.”

Others argue that actors cannot represent a real person as closely as they can an animated character.

“The one I saw yesterday was really close in appearance,” said u/SomeGuyOverYonder. “His voice was slightly off, but I give him great credit for how much he put into his performance. And besides, he looks close enough to be Johnny Depp’s brother.”

“[Johnny Depp’s] also a lot older now,” u/Lesteerknopff added. “No way even with makeup he would look the same.”

Should The Walt Disney Company keep or replace Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow? In the comments, share your thoughts with us.