Johnny Depp Won't Return as Captain Jack Sparrow Even If Disney Paid Him $300 Million
It looks like Captain Jack Sparrow won’t be returning to the screen anytime soon.
During his infamous defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp confirmed that he would not return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise even if Disney paid him $300 million.
When being cross-examined by Heard’s lawyer Ben Rottenborn, Depp revealed that he had no intention of ever returning to the blockbluster Disney franchise. The topic was brought up as Depp claimed Heard’s damning Washington Post editorial against him cost him his career and reputation.
“The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a Pirates of the Caribbean film, correct?” questioned Rottenborn.
“That is true, Mr. Rottenborn,” confirmed Depp.
According to Depp, “Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe,” as his high-profile relationship with Heard was shedding a bad light on the family-friendly franchise. However, the studio did not remove his character, Captain Jack Sparrow, from the Pirates storyline.
“They didn’t remove my character from the rides. They didn’t stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling anything. They just didn’t want there to be something trailing behind me that they’d find,” said Depp.
Since his marriage and subsequent divorce from Heard, Depp has been dropped from movie roles and brand sponsorships. In 2020, he was let go by Warner Bros. from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Depp is currently suing his ex-wife for $50 million for an op-ed she wrote that implied he abused her. Meanwhile, Heard is countersuing him for $100 million. Their rocky relationship has attracted intense media coverage over the last few years as both have accused each other of verbal and physical abuse.
