Rumors have been swirling around for a while now that Disney wanted to reboot the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but now that it actually seems to be happening, we know a little more about what to expect. Most notably, Johnny Depp won’t return to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow. Instead, they’re looking for a female lead, and Doctor Who star Karen Gillan is said to be the frontrunner for the role.
- Nothing has been confirmed just yet. According to Disinsider, Gillan’s name first came up in relation to the Pirates of the Caribbean reboot project sometime around last year, though it’s unknown whether she’s actually entered any kind of talks with Disney about the possibility.
- It’s possible that a woman of color could play the role. As great as Gillan would be and as much as I’d love to see her as a pirate, I also think diversity is incredibly important and still isn’t seen enough on screen. Having a woman of color in a powerful, badass role like this would be incredibly empowering and I definitely wouldn’t be mad if Disney went in this direction.
- This is a whole new Pirates of the Caribbean. The reboot is said to have retained Craig Mazin and Ted Elliot, both of whom wrote previous movies in the franchise, to eke out a new direction for the series. It’s also been suggested that Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman could come on to produce the new movie, though that’s not set in stone either. Can you tell there’s a lot still up in the air here?
- It will likely get a theatrical release. While making movies that go straight to streaming services, in this case Disney+, is an interesting strategy, many have claimed that they believe a new female-lead Pirates of the Caribbean movie would end up being in theaters, which is good to know. Who doesn’t love going to the movies?
- Thankfully, we’re unlikely to have to see Johnny Depp again. As Disney’s Sean Bailey explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “We want to bring in a new energy and vitality. I love the [Pirates] movies, but part of the reason Paul and Rhett are so interesting is that we want to give it a kick in the pants. And that’s what I’ve tasked them with.” There’s also the fact that he’s an abuser, but sure, let’s go with this reasoning!
