Johnny Depp won his defamation claims against ex-wife Amber Heard a former executive at Walt Disney Studios thinks this could lead to the actor's return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
"I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board," the former executive told People, who chose to remain anonymous. "There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture." The source continued, "With [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer riding high on the massive success of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, there is huge appetite for bringing back bankable Hollywood stars in massively popular franchises."
Depp has portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in all five Pirates of the Caribbean films, starting with Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Depp became so popular in the role that several fan petitions began circulating during the trial, with fans demanding the actor's return as Captain Jack for the sixth installment in the franchise. However, Depp has stated that he would reject any offer from Disney to return as Captain Jack Sparrow.
In December 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post wherein she recounted her experiences with domestic abuse. Depp filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard in March 2019 claiming that she lied in her piece; Heard filed a $100 million countersuit against Depp for defamation as well. During the trial, Heard recounted experiences of alleged physical abuse and sexual assault during her marriage to Depp. Nowhere in the op-ed did she mention Depp by name.
During the trial, it was alleged by Depp's agent, Christian Carino, that the actor had lost his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 6 as a result of Heard's op-ed, which cost him a nearly $22.5 million paycheck from Disney. Depp also stated during the trial that even if Disney were to come back with an offer for his return, "nothing on this earth" would get him to return for the sixth Pirates film.
In November 2020, Depp was asked by Warner Bros. to step down from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore following his messy, public divorce from Heard. This led to a long legal battle between the actor and The Sun, who sued the British tabloid for libel after a headline referred to him as a "wife-beater," a fight he would ultimately lose. Depp claimed that he was being blacklisted by Hollywood as a result, and the actor issued a statement taking a stand against "cancel culture" and implored his fans to do the same.
Despite winning his $50 million defamation suit against Heard, an anonymous Hollywood producer said that Depp's return to the spotlight isn't as guaranteed as the actor and his fans might think. "The damage that's done is done, and from this, it might start a process back to some sort of normalcy but I don't think he's going to get big, big, big studio jobs where there's so much on the line," they said. The producer also noted that major studios are unlikely to tolerate "toxic" behavior, including "throwing bottles and taking drugs," when Depp currently lacks the star power to carry a franchise.
Source: People