Pirates Of The Caribbean reboot bringing back Johnny Depp in 'supporting role', says insider

The future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is surrounded by uncertainty. It’s assumed that the series does indeed have a future but as for who will star as its lead? That’s up in the air.

We’re rapidly approaching eight years since the latest instalment Dead Men Tell No Tales, or Salazar’s Revenge for some, hit our screens. The film, once again, saw Johnny Depp return to the role of Captain Jack Sparrow but rather excitingly for long-time fans, Dead Men Tell No Tales also marked the returns of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, albeit in a relatively small capacity. That screen time looked set to increase though as a post-credits scene starring Will teased the return of the presumed-dead Davy Jones.

Whatever Disney had in mind for the next entry didn’t come to fruition though, with Johnny Depp’s libel trial with ex-wife Amber Heard casting doubt over what’s next for Pirates.

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The trial touched on the topic of Pirates several times, with the variety of claims making it hard to source the truth. At one point, Depp reportedly claimed that Disney had denied his return to the franchise despite his interest, while at another he suggested he had no interest in playing Sparrow again. Much has happened since then.

Margot Robbie pitched an idea for a spin-off film believed to centre around ride fan-favourite character Red. Yes, the Disney ride came before the film. While Robbie believes discussions are still ongoing about the film, it does appear to have fallen through the cracks for now. Then, it was claimed that a younger reboot was in the works, with an idea coming from The Last of Us co-executive producer Craig Mazin.

Just last month, reports said that The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri may be in talks to star as new lead Anne in this reboot, based on the real life Anne Bonny. To add to this, it’s now been suggested that Depp may not be as done with Sparrow as we originally thought. Film insider DanielRPK has claimed that Disney is considering the possibility of having Depp return as Sparrow but in a supporting role.

Disney’s major convention D23 returns this year, running from 6 to 11 August in Anaheim, California. Known for its major reveals, could a Pirates reboot be announced? It looks as if we’ll have to sit tight as we await official confirmation.