Many Johnny Depp fans are still pushing for the actor to be brought back to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise following a recent update on the state of the movie series. Just recently, producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed (via ComicBook.com) that work is currently coming together on the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Bruckheimer did not specifically state that Depp would be involved but noted that he was "very excited" by how the project is coming along.
"I'm very excited, it's going to be terrific," he said. "We’re just putting this together right now. We're still working on the screenplay, but it’s very unique and has one of the original writers who wrote the first one, Ted Elliott; he’s writing it. He’s got a great command of the language, and he writes great characters and tells terrific stories."
This announcement has brought some renewed some attention to a popular petition calling for Depp to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 6. The petition, which can be found at Change.org, has been around for years as it was created pretty early on in the tumultuous legal battle between Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp's fans felt that his firing from Disney was unjust as the allegations against him hadn't been proven.
With Depp coming out ahead in his defamation trial against Heard, fans insist that there's no good reason for Disney to keep the Jack Sparrow actor blacklisted any longer. That trial win, coupled with the recent news of Pirates 6 moving forward, has generated even more traction to the popular Change.org petition. New signatures can be seen getting added every minute, and as of this writing, the petition has reached north of 787,000 names.
Johnny Depp Fans Want Him Back as Jack Sparrow
Previous reports have suggested that Margot Robbie may take the lead in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film. Even if that's the case, fans still want Depp to return as Jack Sparrow, even if it's to pass the torch to Robbie as the franchise's new central character. For many, it's about justice, as people say Disney needs to make right by the actor by bringing him back in another Pirates film.
"Johnny Depp deserves his life back the way it was before Amber Heard came along, because no actor or actress could ever say this man is not an amazing actor," the petition's creator states. "If you were falsely accused of something you did not do, then there’s proof you didn’t do it and you still were treated like a bad person, wouldn’t you want Justice?? Even if he is not your favorite actor, please sign this petition in honor of helping clear his name and reputation!"
The big question is if Depp would even be interested in returning if Disney were to come at him with an offer for Pirates 6. He stated in his trial that he felt "betrayed" by Disney cutting him loose and suggested that he wouldn't ever be able to play that role again as a result. Time does heal many wounds, however, so with the trial behind him, maybe Depp will reconsider that stance with so many fans demanding his return.