Actors rarely stay locked into one franchise forever, especially once they've proven they can carry a billion dollar blockbuster on their own. Tom Holland might be about to prove exactly that.
Coming off arguably the biggest payday of his career, Holland is reportedly exploring a completely different corner of the Disney universe, one built around cursed treasure and pirate ships instead of skyscrapers and spider webs. The timing lines up almost perfectly with a major shakeup already happening inside the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, involving both Johnny Depp and Margot Robbie. Here's a full breakdown of what's being reported about Holland, where Pirates 6 currently stands, and why Holland's recent box office numbers make him such a tempting name for Disney to bring aboard.
Early Talks Put Holland in the Pirates Conversation
Ram News broke the story, reporting that Tom Holland is in early talks with Disney for a potential role in Pirates of the Caribbean 6. The outlet described the situation directly, noting, “Tom Holland could be heading from the Marvel universe into another major Disney franchise.
The actor is reportedly in early talks with Disney for a potential role in Pirates of the Caribbean 6.” Should these conversations actually turn into a signed deal, Holland would suddenly be juggling two enormous blockbuster franchises simultaneously, adding Pirates to his existing run as Spider-Man.
It's important to note the talks remain in an early phase with no casting confirmed yet, but the mere possibility of Holland trading his web shooters for a compass has already generated plenty of fan excitement.
Catching Up on Where Pirates 6 Stands
Understanding why Holland's name is generating this much buzz requires a quick catch up on everything that's shifted with the Pirates franchise lately. For close to a decade, fans have wondered whether Captain Jack Sparrow would ever return to screens following the underwhelming performance of 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, made even more uncertain by Johnny Depp's very public legal disputes.
That uncertainty finally lifted at the 2026 D23 Fan Expo, where longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that discussions with Depp are actively happening. In an interview with Deadline following his Disney Legends tribute at the event, Bruckheimer said, “We're talking to Johnny. We're working on a screenplay. Hopefully, we can get this done.” That statement represents the strongest confirmation to date that Disney and Depp are working past their falling out, which began in 2018 after domestic abuse allegations from ex-wife Amber Heard led the studio to distance itself from the actor.
There's a notable twist buried in the reporting, though. According to Deadline, Depp's version of Jack Sparrow won't actually be leading this next film. Instead, the sixth installment is expected to center around a brand new protagonist played by Margot Robbie, pushing Sparrow into a supporting role rather than the franchise's central focus. Robbie has been connected to a Pirates project in some form for years, and reporting suggests her storyline has now merged directly into the main sequel rather than continuing as a separate spinoff. Given Robbie's box office pull following Barbie and her action movie experience from Birds of Prey, positioning her as the true lead makes plenty of sense for a franchise trying to grow beyond a single signature character.
Holland's Box Office Numbers Explain the Timing
Holland's potential involvement in Pirates 6 arrives right as he's hitting a genuine career peak commercially. He's set to earn more than $100 million for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a number that puts him among Hollywood's highest paid actors currently working, and it comes right alongside another 2026 hit for him, The Odyssey.
Sources familiar with the deal say Holland locked in a base salary of at least $20 million upfront for Brand New Day, a $10 million increase over his previous Spider-Man contract, with total compensation potentially climbing past $100 million thanks to an uncapped backend bonus structure. One individual close to the deal put it simply: “He will make at least” $100 million, without offering a guess at how much higher it could ultimately go. The film's performance backs up why that structure matters so much. Spider-Man: Brand New Day crossed $2 billion globally in just three weeks, powered by a record setting $927 million global opening weekend and a $360 million domestic opening that broke the all time record outright.
That kind of payday marks a massive jump for Holland, who took home just $500,000 for his very first appearance as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming, followed by $4 million for Spider-Man: Far From Home and $10 million for Spider-Man: No Way Home. His career arc closely tracks the path Robert Downey Jr. carved out as Iron Man, a comparison one media executive made outright, calling Holland “the new Robert Downey Jr.” Downey Jr. similarly began at $500,000 before eventually clearing $100 million combined for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame once his backend deals paid out. Actor Tom Hollander even offered a rare glimpse into how massive these Marvel bonus checks can actually be, recalling on Late Night With Seth Meyers that he mistakenly received a check intended for Holland tied to Avengers: Infinity War, describing it as “an astonishing amount of money… a seven-figure sum,” and clarifying that was just the first bonus installment, not the total payout.
Why Bringing In Holland Would Make Business Sense
With Jack Sparrow stepping back into a supporting role and Margot Robbie taking over as the new central character, Disney appears to be deliberately expanding the Pirates franchise well beyond its original signature character, echoing the same strategy the Marvel Cinematic Universe has used repeatedly to introduce fresh headline stars over time. Adding a proven box office draw like Holland would give the studio extra confidence heading into a franchise relaunch after nearly a decade of dormancy.
The Ripple Effect on Your Next Theme Park Trip
For fans of the actual Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, a full scale franchise relaunch backed by this much star power is worth keeping an eye on. Major new Disney films have a long track record of leading to refreshed attraction overlays, new merchandise lines, and limited time events built around a movie's release. If Pirates 6 does move forward with this lineup intact, it wouldn't be surprising to see that momentum carry over into the parks themselves, whether through special theming, limited time experiences, or promotional tie-ins timed to the film's eventual debut.
Are you on board with the direction Pirates of the Caribbean 6 seems to be taking, with Margot Robbie potentially leading and Tom Holland possibly joining the crew? Tell us in the comments what you're hoping to see from this next chapter of the franchise.
