Pirates of the Caribbean could still bring back Jack Sparrow, as Disney's overall strategy is returning to safe waters following recent wins

After Moana 2 absolutely crushing the global box office this past weekend despite being a rushed rework of a Disney+ series, Disney is beginning to plot the course for 2025 and beyond. One of the key franchises that they're trying to bring back? Pirates of the Caribbean. But there's a Jack Sparrow question that needs a solid answer first...

It's no secret the company and legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer have been trying to get a new Pirates project off the ground for a few years now, as 2017's Dead Men Tell No Tales, while disappointing, still made nearly $800 million worldwide. A script which involved a female ensemble led by Margot Robbie was thrown around at some point, plus Deadpool scribes worked on another attempted reboot, but it seems that current plans might involve a safer approach... if the stars align.

Variety shared an in-depth article on that explored the post-2024 scenario that Disney is currently looking at. With Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 making over $3 billion combined in theaters alone this summer and Moana 2 looking to catch a +$1 billion haul unless something strange happens, it seems that reinstated CEO Bob Iger's plan to return to what worked wonders during the 2010s is immediately paying off.

Mind you, this back-to-theatrical, established-IP-heavy strategy also resulted in smaller movies that were originally planned for a streaming release, such as The First Omen and Alien: Romulus, making their way to the big screen, but some moviegoers are worried this 'damage control' era might result in even less creative risks being taken, especially when it comes to huge franchises.

The piece also goes on to explain that Iger's new-but-not-really approach also includes putting some distance between the company and its output and online culture wars, no matter where the outrage comes from. This might spell trouble for the upcoming live-action Snow White remake due to Rachel Zegler's recent comments on Donald Trump and the Israel-Palestine conflict, but also could help fallen-from-grace stars like Johnny Depp get a second chance.

Mind you, even before his ongoing legal troubles, Depp's star power had started to dwindle, while actors like Margot Robbie have also become more popular, so a potential return of Jack Sparrow over a fresh new cast could be another misfire that misreads the room and overrates the potential return from an aging fanbase (like many recent legacy sequel misfires have proven).

Regardless, it does seem like that option is back on the table: "Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer is developing two versions of the script on parallel tracks, one that could bring Depp back into the fold if the actor and Disney can reconcile." Variety's sources are backing this, but as with all things Hollywood, nothing is set in stone until the cameras are rolling.