Pirates of the Caribbean fans are in for some upsetting news. A representative for Johnny Depp has denied the recent report that claimed the actor was working on a new deal to return to the swashbuckling adventure franchise.

The June 27 report claimed Disney was "very interested in patching up their relationship with Johnny Depp" and that the studio was "very hopeful that Johnny will forgive them and return as his iconic character." Depp was also stated to have been working on a $301 million deal to return as Captain Jack Sparrow, a hefty increase from the $22.5 million paycheck the actor was previously set to earn for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. Unfortunately, the report seems to lack any factual truth as E! News claims a representative for the actor told NBC News, "This is made up."

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Depp has been a part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise since the first installment, The Curse of the Black Pearl, released in 2003. His portrayal of the eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow earned him praise from critics and audiences and even an Academy Award nomination. Depp reprised the role for each one of the film's sequels, including Dead Man's Chest, At World's End, On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales, making him one of the few actors to have returned for every film in the franchise.

The actor's future in the franchise has been up in the air since the actor testified that he would reject any offer for a sixth Pirates film during his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard in April 2022. The actor ended his business relationship with Disney after the studio allegedly fired him from Pirates of the Caribbean 6 over abuse allegations from Heard. However, a former Walt Disney Studios executive stated that since Depp won his defamation claims against Heard, Disney would attempt to mend any broken fences with the actor. "I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board," said the former executive, who chose to remain anonymous. "There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture."

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Despite no current interest in returning as Jack Sparrow, Depp revealed that he did originally want to keep playing the character until the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise ended. "My feeling was that these characters should be able to have their proper goodbye," Depp said during his defamation trial. "There's a way to end a franchise like that… I planned on continuing until it was time to stop."

Source: E! News