The idea of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie without Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow is seemingly something that fans aren’t really on board with. Whether the character will return for the much-mooted sixth movie is unknown at this time, but one of Depp’s co-stars, Greg Ellis, believes that, should he be left out, it would be tantamount to having a ship without a captain.
“I think for Pirates 6…in an ideal world, every character who the fans have fallen in love with will be able to come back to kind of wrap everything up. Ultimately it comes down to screenplay and story. If Jack Sparrow isn’t a key, if not the key element, to wrapping up a multi-billion-dollar franchise, is it not akin to not having Captain Kirk in [the original] Star Trek?”
RELATED: Johnny Depp Doesn’t Miss the Pirates Franchise: I Travel with Captain Jack in My Suitcase
Greg Ellis, who played Lieutenant Commander Theodore Groves in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, has similarly had dealings with the legal system much like Johnny Depp, and recently wrote a book titled The Respondent: Exposing the Cartel of Family Law, with an introduction written by Depp. Clearly the actor has strong feelings regarding Depp’s inclusion in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise moving forward, even believing that Jack Sparrow should remain the central figure. Though his comparison to Star Trek is perhaps not the best one to make, as there have been several installments in that particular franchise that have done just fine without Captain Kirk…
This of course is not to diminish Depp’s role in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, with his character undeniably elevating the Disney franchise to the heights it ultimately went on to reach. Jack Sparrow has become one of the most recognizable characters in modern movie history, and while a continuation without him could very well work, it could just as easily feel like there was something missing.
Indeed, Ellis is not the only Johnny Depp co-star to think the actor and character must return for more. Kevin McNally, who portrayed Captain Jack’s loyal first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, recently offered his view, and agrees that Jack Sparrow should still be included regardless of the direction the series takes. “Yes is the simple answer to [whether Depp should be in the new film]. My feelings about this are very complex because in a sense there was a slight feeling that the franchise itself had played out a little bit, so a reboot is a reasonable idea,” McNally said. “I don’t think a reboot, if you concentrate on younger characters, should still exclude Jack Sparrow.”
For now, it is largely unknown what Disney plan to do with the Pirates of the Caribbean, with reports claiming that two separate movies are currently in development. The first is reportedly being written by Christina Hodson and has tapped Margot Robbie to star, with the plan for a total reboot. The second is being written by the duo of Ted Elliot and Craig Mazin and, while it has not been confirmed, is likely to be a more direct sequel.
For what it’s worth, Depp himself revealed earlier this year that he does not miss the character of Captain Jack Sparrow, one of his most iconic creations, due to always carrying it with him. “No, I don’t miss it, because I have it every day, I always carry it with me, I travel with Captain Jack in my suitcase. I belong to Jack Sparrow and he is loyal to me,” he said. This comes to us from The Express.
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