Johnny Depp said he would not return to Pirates of the Caribbean during the six-week defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard. But a new report claims that he might reconsider his decision and return to the franchise.
Johnny Depp Could Return To Pirates Franchise After Winning Defamation Case Against Amber Heard?
There are rumors that Disney offered Johnny Depp a whopping $301 million to return to the franchise with an apology letter after his legal victory over Amber Heard in June. During the trial, Depp said there was no way that he would return to the franchise as he spoke about the $600 million losses he endured due to the studio firing him due to Heard's allegations.
However, Depp seemed to have a change of heart, according to Pop Topic (via Koimoi). He is reportedly considering his decision and might return as Captain Jack Sparrow.
"Disney is thinking about offering $300 million for Johnny Depp's return, but nothing has been agreed yet. As of right now, Johnny is still considering any offer that comes his way."
If he returns to the franchise, this would arguably become one of Depp's biggest wins after getting dropped from Disney without having any proof of what Amber Heard accused him," the insider said.
In addition to Pirates 6, Depp was reportedly considered as part of a Disney spin-off series.
They reached out to the actor prior to his defamation trial against Amber Heard and asked whether he would be interested in returning for another pirate film or two. The deal is reportedly for Johnny Depp to return as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 6 and a spin-off Disney Plus series about the early life of the Captain of The Black Pearl. What I can tell you is that the studio has already penned up a draft for a film about Jack Sparrow, so they are very hopeful that Johnny will forgive them and return as his iconic character," the report added.
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What Did Johnny Depp Say About Pirates During The Defamation Trial?
Depp testified during the six-week defamation trial in Virginia that Disney dropped him from Pirates 6 just days after Heard's op-ed was published in December 2018. When Heard's lawyer, Ben Rotten, cross-examined him, citing an article from Daily Mail published in October 2018 that he was out as Jack Sparrow from the franchise, Depp addressed the inconsistencies in the timeline.
"I wasn't aware of that, but it doesn't surprise me," he said. "Two years had gone by of constant worldwide talk about me being this wife-beater. So I'm sure that Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe. The #MeToo movement was in full swing at that point."
Although Disney dropped Depp, his much-loved character Captain Jack Sparrow lives on. Jack Sparrow can still be seen at theme parks and in toy stores worldwide.
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"They didn't remove my character from the rides," he said, Entertainment Weekly reported. "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."
During the cross-examination, Rottenborn asked Depp about his interest in reprising his role.
"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?" the lawyer said.
"That is true, Mr. Rottenborn," Depp confirmed.
He admitted that he felt betrayed by the people he worked hard for. Depp said he delivered a character that they initially despised. But he stuck to his guns, and it seemed to work.
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As for his legacy in the franchise following his abrupt exit, Depp admitted that he wanted to play the character and gave it a proper ending before the studio dropped him.
"My feeling was that these characters should be able to have their proper goodbye. A franchise could only last for so long, and there's a way to end a franchise like that. And I thought that the characters deserved to have their way out of… to end the franchise on a very good note. And I planned on continuing until it was time to stop," Depp said.
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