Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is one of Disney’s most mysterious upcoming movies, and while bringing back Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow would be a big deal, the weakest Pirates of the Caribbean movies prove that this still isn’t enough. Ever since the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales, the state of the franchise has been in flux. There has been talk of reboots, spinoffs, and more, with Johnny Depp’s involvement never being certain. However, Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean 6 return now seems more likely than ever.

While Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has been announced since the fifth film was in development, it has been in a state of development hell for a while now. During Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard in 2022, Depp stated that he didn’t plan on returning to the franchise. This led to speculation about a reboot, although Depp then said that he would be open to returning in June 2023. In December 2024, it was announced that Jerry Bruckheimer was working on two different Pirates of the Caribbean scripts, one of which features the return of Jack Sparrow.

Jack Sparrow Alone Isn’t Enough For Pirates Of The Caribbean

He Shouldn’t Be The Franchise’s Focus

Having Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow return in Pirates of the Caribbean 6 would undoubtedly be a big deal for fans. However, it isn’t enough to bring Pirates of the Caribbean back to its golden age. Jack Sparrow was prominently featured in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Pirates of the Caribbean: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales, which are both regarded as the worst films in the series. In fact, Jack Sparrow arguably has a greater focus in these two sequels than in the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, proving that solely focusing on him may not be the best direction for the franchise.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides introduced several new cast members who were supporting actors alongside the star, Johnny Depp. This was an almost universally panned decision, with many fans of the franchise wondering where characters like Will Turner were. When Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann returned in the fifth film, it still wasn’t enough, as they were definitely much smaller members of the cast than they previously were.

While Jack Sparrow is the face of Pirates of the Caribbean, he was never meant to be the main character. In fact, the real protagonists of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were Will and Elizabeth. Jack Sparrow was all over the marketing, but the film follows the dramatic and thematic journeys of Will and Elizabeth, while Jack Sparrow is more of a comedic relief character. This was the magic formula that made the first movie great, and making Jack Sparrow the protagonist of the later films is where the franchise went astray.

Jack, Will Turner & Elizabeth Swann Together Make Pirates Of The Caribbean Great

They Need To Be Equally As Important (If Not More)

If Disney wants to bring Pirates of the Caribbean back to its former glory, it has to bring back Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann alongside Jack Sparrow. Having a Pirates of the Caribbean movie that solely focuses on Jack Sparrow would be like having an Aladdin movie that solely focuses on Genie without bringing back Aladdin or Jasmine. It is just a fundamental misunderstanding of why the original films worked. Jack Sparrow is a fun character, but he needs to be enjoyed in moderation. He isn’t designed for dramatic storytelling, which is why it is necessary to have Will and Elizabeth around as well.

As ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tells proved, simply bringing those characters back isn’t enough. They also have to be of equal importance. Jack Sparrow does not need to be the main character of Pirates of the Caribbean anymore. He will undoubtedly be all over the marketing no matter what, but he needs to stay the eccentric pirate captain who ideologically clashes with Will and Elizabeth throughout their journey. Making Jack Sparrow the main character at the expense of Will and Elizabeth is what killed the franchise, and Pirates of the Caribbean 6 must remedy this.

Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Should Also Bring Back The Original Director

Gore Verbinski Made POTC Great

If Pirates of the Caribbean 6 really wants to get back to the franchise’s glory days, it also needs to get back the director of the original trilogy. While this is definitely more of a stretch than bringing back the main cast, Gore Verbinski is the mastermind behind the original trilogy, and the lack of his direction directly correlates with the franchise’s drop in quality. While the directors of the other two movies aren’t bad filmmakers, the later sequels clearly lacked Verbinski’s style and epic scope, something that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 could fix by bringing him back.

Getting Verbinski back for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 definitely isn’t impossible. He continued to work with Disney after the original trilogy ended, with him directing 2013’s The Lone Ranger. Verbinski actually had some ideas for a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film, but he couldn’t return to On Stranger Tides due to scheduling conflicts with Rango. Although Verbinski was far more cynical about the idea of ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Men Tell No Tales, Disney may be able to win him back with the right story, especially now that his film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is in post-production.

Could Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 With The OG Cast Happen?

The Chances Are Better Than They Have Been In Years

While the case has been made that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 should bring back the original cast, there is still a mystery as to if it will bring them back. Jerry Bruckheimer is working on two Pirates of the Caribbean scripts, one being a sequel that follows Jack Sparrow, and the other being a full of soft reboot. Depp’s previous comments about being willing to return raise the chances of this happening, as it is unlikely that a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel would bring back Will and Elizabeth but not Jack Sparrow.

Orlando Bloom is definitely interested in returning for Pirates of the Caribbean 6, with him saying that he thinks “it would be great to get the band back together.” However, when asked about the state of the film, he said “I really don’t know.” The odds of a Pirates of the Caribbean 6 with the original cast look better now than they have in years, and fans of the original series need to keep their fingers crossed.