Though the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been dormant since 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, there is still a very vocal contingent of fans that have been petitioning online to bring Johnny Depp back to the fold. Since its formation in November of 2020, the initial goal of signatures was hit, only to be stretched to a new endgame of double the original intention. While it’s been slow going, over another 100,000 signers have climbed aboard since then, we have to wonder if this petition will ever reach its latest goal?
We’re still following the Change.org petition that was created a little over a year ago, which reached its initial pledge of 500,000 signatures, only to push the finish line shortly after to 1 million. Since that ambitious change last March, it seems that the cause has slowed down a bit from the point where it was getting several thousand signatures in the span of a single day. At the time of this writing, almost 675,000 have signed this push for Mr. Depp’s return to the Disney franchise he helped make a household name.
The subject of whether or not Johnny Depp should be allowed to return to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies has been a pretty hot button topic. As fans debate the issue through their own discourse, there have even been some cast members of the series weighing in on where they stand. Several actors that have served with their on-screen captain seem to have no problem with Captain Jack’s potential return, even if their opinions seem to counter the franchise machinery’s current courses of action.
As Disney doesn’t seem to have officially “fired” Depp from his post per se, the studio’s intention to move in a different direction is pretty apparent. Not only one, but two female-led reboots have been pitched to take the place of the original franchise, based off of one of the earliest park attractions in the studio/theme park company’s history. One variant with Guardians of the Galaxy’s Karen Gillan has been rumored, with another supposedly intended for The Suicide Squad’s Margot Robbie to play the lead. That second reboot play is particularly notable, because an allegedly pitched cameo for Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow was supposedly shot down pretty early on.
It’s no question whether or not Mr. Depp can still play the role of Captain Jack, with the actor game to slip back into the persona almost instantaneously when he’s among his fans. The two questions that need to be asked at this point are whether or not the public demand is there for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise to continue, and which direction should that movement should proceed? Recent developments seem to at least answer one half of that puzzle, as Johnny Depp’s support seems to be peaking in the instance of this ongoing petition.
As always, the future awaits those who seek it, courtesy of the 2022 release schedule! Whether the glory days of Captain Jack Sparrow are long over, or overdue for a resurgence, you can still catch each of his previous adventures. Check out the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise on Disney+, as everything from Curse of the Black Pearl to Dead Men Tell No Tales is there for the taking.
