Amongst the towering collection of iconic characters that Johnny Depp has breathed life into, none is perhaps as famous as the pirate Captain Jack Sparrow from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. A bumbling, devious schemer who always manages to come out on top, Depp’s Sparrow overwhelmed the cultural zeitgeist in the 2000s before a slew of lackluster sequels ripped the heart out of the franchise. So, who could replace Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise?
With five films under the franchise (two of which made more than a billion dollars), it seemed the Pirates franchise would continue on forever (like Universal’s Jurassic World or Marvel’s Cinematic Universe). However, all of it came to a halt when Depp and his former wife, Amber Heard, fought a massive court battle that spilled out into the public discourse, revealing a slew of dark and disturbing secrets from both parties into the limelight. As a result, Depp was not only dropped from the Harry Potter franchise after one appearance, but the industry soon came for his beloved Pirates franchise as well, prompting Disney to look for other leads for the next installment.
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1. Margot Robbie
While other names on this list might be rumors or fancasts, the Margot Robbie-led Pirates film actually was in development for some time. Owing to her stunning box office successes in the shape of Barbie, Suicide Squad, and The Wolf of Wall Street, Disney execs thought Robbie was the perfect fit to lead the franchise in the wake of Depp’s falling out. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer announced in 2020 that a Pirates spinoff film starring Robbie was in the works and Bumblebee scribe Christina Hodson would be writing the project. The project was imagined with a younger cast in mind in the hopes that the first film’s success would lead to multiple sequels down the line.
Hopes about the film would soon be dashed to the ground when Robbie stated in 2022 that the project was dead and that Disney did not want to move forward with it anymore. However, recent comments by Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer have breathed new life into the project. He has stated that the Robbie led film is one of two Pirates films being actively developed.
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2. Glen Powell
Amongst the up and coming stars, Glen Powell is one name who could replace Depp if the powers that be chose to do so. Powell’s first notable role was in The Dark Knight Rises back in 2012, and he has been steadily climbing up the ranks since Top Gun: Maverick, delivering leading man energy with both ‘Anyone But You’ and ‘Twisters’. Powell has the necessary charisma and wit to take over from Depp and could headline a great pirate if Disney wanted to do so. Perhaps Disney might be waiting to see how his next big feature, The Running Man, performs before giving him the call.
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3. Ryan Reynolds
Replace Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean
With Ryan Reynolds on an unbelievably hot streak ever since Deadpool came out in 2016, it is not hard to imagine him leading the Pirates franchise and actually managing to accomplish something different with it. Like Depp, Reynolds is no stranger to adventure films as he has gradually beefed up his resume with Red Notice, Free Guy, and Deadpool sequels. While it may be hard to see him as a pirate, Ryan can absolutely do justice to any role he touches. While some have criticized him as playing the same old character in every role he stars in, the Pirates franchise has the necessary room to accommodate the type of humor Ryan is famous for. Ryan’s antics might just be what the franchise now needs, and his unparalleled ability to pump up the scripts with action-based humor is exactly what the franchise is known for.
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4. Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne The Rock Johnson has often been inserted into wobbly franchises to resurrect them before they fall into the abyss. From ‘Fast and the Furious’ to ‘G.I. Joe, and from the DC Universe to Jumanji, Johnson might play the same old character in all films, but he has the charisma and the star power to fill in Depp’s shoes. In addition, Johnson remains the only bankable star working today (in addition to Tom Cruise) who is able to fill theatres based on his name alone. While Johnson does not have the sheer range that Depp does, he can do well when it comes to fluffy adventure films, as shown by both ‘Jungle Cruise’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’.
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5. Jason Momoa
Replace Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean
One actor who would make an absolute badass pirate is DC’s former Aquaman, Jason Momoa. Momoa has the necessary ‘dude energy’ and the look to bring some much-needed brawn to the Pirates franchise, and he has proven that he does work best when the scripts have a bit of wit and action in them. Amongst the names on this list, Momoa is the one who might be the most fit for this franchise, as his two Aquaman solo films are already similar in tone to the Pirates franchise. In addition, Momoa and John Wick director David Leitch are already making a pirate-focused action film for Amazon, due for release in 2027. Someone had to put Momoa in a pirate costume, and if it won't be Disney just yet, Amazon will do just fine.
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Final Thoughts
With all said and done, the fact of the matter remains that just because someone ‘can’ replace Johnny in the Pirates of the Caribbean, doesn't mean they ‘should’. Johnny Depp is the heart and soul of the franchise, and swapping him with a popular actor from today might make the film happen, but it sure won't capture the zest behind the franchise. Depp is the face of Pirates of the Caribbean, and without him, the fans of the franchise might not be so kind to the proposed new installment. One only needs to look at how spinoffs that shifted focus away from the original actor (Ballerina, Men in Black: International, Ghostbusters) performed at the box office recently to see why replacing Depp would be a disastrous idea.
Replace Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean
