Mr. Gibbs Actor Thinks Pirates Of The Caribbean Reboot Still Needs Johnny Deep


While the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise enjoyed a great deal of popularity at one point, the series has fallen off the radar a bit in recent times. Now there are rumblings that Disney is planning on rebooting the franchise with a new cast of characters, which will not include Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Kevin McNally, who portrayed Captain Jack's loyal first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, described those rumors of Depp's exclusion as "criminal" for throwing away the years of work that Depp has put into making the franchise a success.

"Yes is the simple answer to [whether Depp should be in the new film]. My feelings about this are very complex because in a sense there was a slight feeling that the franchise itself had played out a little bit, so a reboot is a reasonable idea. I don't think a reboot, if you concentrate on younger characters, should still exclude Jack Sparrow."

RELATED: Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Producer Wanted a Johnny Depp Cameo, But Disney Balked at Idea?

The stance Kevin McNally takes is understandable, especially considering that if Captain Sparrow does not return to the franchise, that very likely means that Gibbs will also not be needed. The duo have appeared in every installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and have come to represent the spirit of the franchise to longtime fans.

But as confident as McNally is in stating that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 should still include Sparrow and his cohorts, Disney seems to strongly disagree. A recent report by THR stated that the Mouse Empire shot down the idea of a cameo by Depp in the next Pirates movie.

"[Producer Jerry] Bruckheimer, who has been one of Depp's biggest champions and once suggested the finger injury happened because "he got it caught in a car door," was hoping to at least bring the Captain Jack Sparrow character back briefly in the next outing - said to be a female-centric incarnation fronted by Margot Robbie. Disney balked."

If reports are to be believed, the Pirates of the Caribbean reboot will feature a new cast of characters, with a female pirate in the lead instead of Sparrow. Margot Robbie is said to be a frontrunner for the role, although the actress herself has not confirmed anything, commenting on a podcast regarding news of her casting, "Maybe. It's early days. I shan't say no more...For now," adding that "time will tell."

Many longtime fans feel Disney is betraying Depp's role in making the Pirates franchise a hit by casting him aside after the reboot. While Captain Jack Sparrow started out as a supporting character in the first movie in the series, his popularity quickly exploded, and subsequent films saw Sparrow take on a much more prominent role as the de facto face of the franchise.

The truth is, movies about pirates have traditionally not done well in Hollywood, and the Pirates of the Caribbean series was the one, very lucrative exception. It will be interesting to see if Disney will be able to make the series work without the iconic presence of that wily and irreverent pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Joker Star 'joins Margot Robbie' To Replace Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp discusses Pirates of the Caribbean in 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean fans were given a surprise announcement last month when Harley Quinn actor Margot Robbie explained that she was “excited” for her role in the as-of-yet unannounced reboot of the series. Rumours began earlier in the year that Robbie would be joining the Disney franchise, but all parties remained silent on the news until the star's outburst during an interview. It has also not been confirmed just yet whether Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow is being outright replaced, or slowly pushed out of the story.

With Robbie supposedly taking over the series in the films to come, she will surely need a brand new crew to help her commit some piracy on the seven seas.

At the moment there has been no word on who fans can expect to see on the silver screen.

But new rumours suggest that Robbie will be joined by a former on-screen lover.

Not just any actor, though: the former lover of Harley Quinn herself, the Joker.

READ MORE: Pirates of the Caribbean: Depp replacement Margot Robbie 'wants her character to be LGBT'

Pirates of the Caribbean: Jared Leto played the Joker in Suicide Squad (Image: WARNER BROS)

According to a Hollywood insider, Robbie is apparently “looking to team up” with Jared Leto once again - this time for her upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean reboot.

Leto is making quite the name for himself in Hollywood, as he is gearing up to release his first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Morbius.

Being partnered up with Robbie would create quite the powerful acting duo for a new Pirates reboot - but will it be accepted by die-hard fans?

Considering Johnny Depp was well-loved for his eccentric portrayal of Jack Sparrow, fans may enjoy a similarly outlandish performance from Leto, who is known for going above-and-beyond for his acting roles.