Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Breaking A Franchise Record Is Secretly Good For Disney’s Next POTC Movie, Whether Johnny Depp Returns Or Not

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 can’t avoid setting a franchise record, and though this could be considered a negative, it may ultimately be beneficial (for both a Johnny Depp return or otherwise). This Disney franchise has been in a state of limbo for years, and the fate of future movies was especially uncertain given the back and forth regarding Depp’s return to play Jack Sparrow. The actor’s fans are certainly pᴀssionate about the quirky pirate remaining the primary Pirates of the Caribbean protagonist, but with every year that goes by, things get more complicated.

A couple new Pirates of the Caribbean projects are confirmed to be in the works, with Pirates 6 remaining the priority over other planned spinoffs. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has revealed that the coming Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will be approached like a reboot and that he would be open to Depp returning to play Jack Sparrow. Precisely how this would work is hard to tell, and with few concrete details, we may be waiting for several more years before we can understand for certain. It’s already been eight years since we last got a Pirates of the Caribbean movie—but this record could be a good thing.

Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Represents The Longest Gap Between Movies In The Franchise

It’s Already Been Eight Years Since ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales


Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow running in Pirates of the Caribbean ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales

It’s already been eight years since Pirates of the Caribbean: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales hit theaters in 2017, and we can expect no less than two more years before Pirates of the Caribbean is anywhere close to releasing. This is a new record for the franchise, beating out the six years that lapsed between On Stranger Tides and ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales. It was evident when he latter film came to theaters that the time gap had done the franchise no favors. Each Pirates of the Caribbean movie performed a little worse than the last in every regard. Therefore, an even longer wait for Pirates 6 seems to bode poorly.

Disney has clearly struggled to duplicate the success of the earlier Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and each attempted swing is even more of a miss. On Stranger Tides seemed to go wrong because of the lack of familiar characters, and Disney really took its time during the next years to make ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales feel more like what audiences had known and loved. Now, Bruckheimer and the House of Mouse are clearly eager to try again, and with a better part of a decade come and gone, it’s difficult to say whether it could be worth it. However, it may actually be just what the franchise needs.

A Longer Gap Will Help Pirates Of The Caribbean Feel Fresh After The Sequels Got Worse & Worse

Audiences Needed To Develop Some Nostalgia

Six years obviously wasn’t enough to reset audiences’ expectations after On Stranger Tides. However, if nearly 10 years comes and goes between Pirates of the Caribbean: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales and Pirates of the Caribbean 6, it may be easier for the new movie to feel like a fresh start. Part of what made the franchise’s fourth and fifth movies disappointing is how tired and worn out they felt. They were frustratingly mediocre attempts to continue something that had reached its full capacity long ago. However, a long break from this world of pirates could be just what audiences needed.

After so long, nostalgia for Pirates of the Caribbean has only grown. We are no longer used to the over-the-top combat, unbelievable feats, and campy supernatural haunts. Pirates of the Caribbean 6 can bring this back after 10 years to an audience that is now entirely ready to receive it. Jack Sparrow’s antics would no longer feel so repeтιтive—but even without Depp’s memorable character, such a time gap can segue the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise into a golden new era.

More Time Between Movies Could Rejuvenate Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow Or Set The Stage For A New Hero

It Helps Whether Jack Sparrow Returns Or Not


Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in front of a grainy tropical background
Custom Image by Sophie Evans

There’s no question that Pirates of the Caribbean fans love Depp’s Jack Sparrow. The actor solidified this franchise into what it was, and just about everyone is eager to see him return. When it comes down to it, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has a better chance of getting people into the theaters if Depp is among the cast. Still, Jack Sparrow doesn’t guarantee a good movie. This character has been the one constant throughout the franchise, but performance rapidly declined regardless. A longer gap and the years of uncertainty around his character could certainly rejuvenate Jack Sparrow’s power to win us over, however.

Depp may refuse to return to play Jack Sparrow. If this is the case, then this long gap between Pirates of the Caribbean movies is essentially the only thing that could save Pirates 6.

Depp may refuse to return to play Jack Sparrow. If this is the case, then this long gap between Pirates of the Caribbean movies is essentially the only thing that could save Pirates 6. Even now, people will resist a new hero coming in to lead the story, but that’s nothing compared to the controversy this would have inspired several years ago. If Disney must follow new characters in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, a long wait before the movie comes out is the only way to do it. It sets the expectation that this will be something brand new.

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