Like one of those wily old seadogs found in the corner of a groggery, you can always count on Jerry Bruckheimer for a Pirates of the Caribbean update, and this one’s a doozy. According to the super-producer behind the $4.5 billion grossing franchise, they are in talks with Johnny Depp about a return for Pirates 6.
Bruckheimer was speaking to Deadline at Disney’s D23 Expo when he said that they were “talking to Johnny, we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done”.
Jerry Bruckheimer reveals conversations have been had with Johnny Depp about returning as Captain Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’ | #D23 pic.twitter.com/52iJn7apD1
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) August 16, 2026
It has since emerged that this sixth film won’t be another Sparrow-centric outing, but that Depp will return as a side-character in the long-gestating Margot Robbie-led Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Depp last set sail as the iconic character in 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which received the lowest rating of the franchise (30% on Rotten Tomatoes), and grossed the least at the worldwide box-office, with a haul of just $795.9 million.
Next up for Depp is his role as Ebeneezer Scrooge in director Ti West’s (X) take on the classic Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol.
Let us know whether you’re still interested in setting sail with Jack Sparrow in the evolution of the Pirates franchise by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Originally published August 18, 2026. Updated August 23, 2026.
