Don’t Worry, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Hasn’t Replaced Jack Sparrow — At Least Not Yet – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Johnny Depp isnt having a great time lately. The actor is mired in controversy with ex-wife Amber Heard. And its been nearly a decade since hes headlined a big hit movie. Still, fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean series are up in arms over apparent news Depp has been replaced. But he hasnt. At least not yet.

Many fans would prefer a new Pirates of the Caribbean doesnt happen at all without Depp. And its not hard to see why their fandom of the series is so tied to the actor. After all, were talking about a movie based on a theme park attraction, one which no one expected to become a hit at all.

Yet, Depps Oscar-nominated performance as Jack Sparrow sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow steered the movie to just the right sensibility. His character work elevated the project and is directly responsible for spawning a franchise. So, of course, its hard for some to imagine a version without him.

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And yet, the series has been suffering for years. The first movie led to two generally well-regarded sequels, and together they make for a solid adventure-fantasy trilogy. But the trouble began with 2011s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Although the fourth movie was a financial hit, it attempts to make Jack Sparrow the center of the story for the first time. The previous three centered on Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). This allowed Depp to run amok as the twitchy wild card.

Depps performance also suffered in the most recent two sequels. And in order to help the brand survive, Disney is looking to a shared universe model. News recently broke that Margot Robbie will lead a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. But she isnt serving as the series Depp replacement.

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Robbies movie will not, however, serve as a straight-up reboot of the franchise. But Disney does have one in the works. Although details are scarce right now, rumors have long swirled that Karen Gillan would lead this new incarnation of Pirates of the Caribbean. Fans have long thought the actor could play Redd, a character featured in the Disney theme park ride.

Gillans casting also makes a ton of sense, considering her action-heavy role in the Jumanji movies. After all, that series has adopted a similar tone as Pirates of the Caribbean. Plus, Gillan plays the fan-favorite role of Nebula in the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe. The future is dim for Jack Sparrow, but fans upset about his exit are getting worked up prematurely.

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Don't Worry, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Hasn't Replaced Jack Sparrow -- At Least Not Yet - Showbiz Cheat Sheet