Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow Image Projected Onto Disneyland Castle Stirs Controversy

Johnny Depp is stirring up some controversy if you can believe it. Or rather: Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow is stirring up new controversy with Disney crowds. A projection of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow was being projected on to the Magic Kingdom Castle over in Disneyland Paris, during a Pirates of the Caribbean fireworks display. That’s a first since Disney distanced itself from Depp back in 2018 by dropping him from Pirates of the Caribbean. Now the tide is clearly turning after Depp won his high-profile trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, whose allegations caused the wave of industry backlash against Depp. 

After Disneyland Paris revealed the image of Depp as Sparrow, it was captured by cameras and posted on social media. The tweets and videos have since gone viral, and there have been (the predictable) backlash from those who still believe that Depp is in the wrong. At the same time, if you watch the video below, it’s clear that there is a swell of happiness from some in the crowd when Depp’s Jack Sparrow appears: 

There’s been renewed buzz about what Disney plans to do about the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, now that Depp has at least won the necessary public relations victory to make himself viable for high-profile studio franchise roles again. During his trial, Johnny Depp admitted that he understood why Disney had moved away from him: “Two years had gone by of constant worldwide talk about me being this wife beater. So I’m sure that Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe. The #MeToo movement was in full swing at that point.” He also made it hyperbolically clear that he was done with Pirates. 

And yet, one former Disney executive says Depp being back aboard Pirates of the Caribbean is inevitable: 

“I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board,” the anonymous source told People. “There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture. With [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer riding high on the massive success of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, there is huge appetite for bringing back bankable Hollywood stars in massively popular franchises.”

A Pirates project with Margot Robbie is in the works – pairing her and Depp together would definitely hit the Legacy sequel/reboot bell that could see Robbie take the reigns and Depp play a supporting role. The treasure chests would overflow – and for all his talk, Depp probably has coifers to refill after all his legal stresses. 

Could Disneyland Paris be the first hint of Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean comeback?