Pirates of the Caribbean Star Rules Out Return to Franchise
It's only a matter of time before Disney charts a course back to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The quality of the Pirates films dropped off a bit after director Gore Verbinski stepped away, but they were still box office hits for Disney. There's a large fanbase hoping to see more Pirates in the future, especially with Disney+ providing another way to release new stories. If and when Pirates of the Caribbean does return, however, it appears as though it'll be without one of its original stars.
Keira Knightley, who first played Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, doesn't see herself returning to the franchise in the future. When asked about it by Entertainment Tonight, Knightley said she thought Elizabeth already had a good ending, and she wouldn't want to change that by doing more.
"I mean, she sailed away so nicely," Knightley said of her character. "She sailed away in brilliant style."
Elizabeth Swan had a pretty definitive ending at the conclusion of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, the third film in the franchise. Will fulfilled his obligation as the captain of the Flying Dutchman, sailing off into the distance and leaving Elizabeth behind. The film's post-credits scene revealed that Elizabeth and Will had a son.
That wasn't Knightley's final outing as Elizabeth Swan, though. The actress returned 10 years later for a cameo in 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The film was largely about Will Turner and the son he shared with Elizabeth, and a post-credits scene saw Will and Elizabeth back together again. Their reunion also teased the potential return of Davy Jones in a sixth film, but that movie has yet to materialize.
Unlike Knightley, Orlando Bloom has expressed interest in reprising the role of Will Turner, saying just last month that he'd like another shot at the Pirates franchise. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has also indicated that he'd like to bring Johnny Depp back for another movie.
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