Movies returned significantly throughout 2024, but few studios came as close to bringing the box office to its knees as Disney, with releases like Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.3B+), Inside Out 2 ($1.6B+), and the recently released Moana 2 ($404.6M and climbing). That’s a lot of coins for Mickey’s money bin, but could the release of Marc Webb’s Snow White halt the gravy train? Try as they might, promos for Snow White aren’t hitting as hard with fans as Disney would have hoped. Maybe the film lacks anticipation because of Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, Rachel Zegler’s political posts, or the terrifying dwarves. Who could say? Disney needs some guaranteed hits if they want to keep the fire stoked, and one franchise that’s always gone well for them is Pirates of the Caribbean. Still, can Pirates succeed without Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow? We might soon find out.

Speaking with Variety, a source close to the next Pirates movie said, “Nothing has been ruled out,” regarding Depp’s franchise return. Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer is developing two versions of the script for the next Pirates movie on parallel tracks, with one calling for Depp to reconcile with Disney. Depp’s Jack Sparrow is the anchor of the Pirates franchise, with many fans showing up for every sequel to see what he’ll do next. What is the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise without Jack Sparrow? It is a risk, to be sure.

If Depp fails to mend fences with Disney after the fallout from his domestic dispute case with ex-wife Amber Heard, the studio’s best option would be to reboot the franchise. Would lightning strike twice? Who could steer the next Pirates movie to the Seas of Success? We live in divided times, and Disney must figure out how to appeal to both sides of the aisle if they wish to remain a box office behemoth. While Snow White could cool the studio’s current hot streak, Mufasa: The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch, and a handful of animated sequels, including Toy Story 5, Zootopia 2, and Frozen 3, could remedy a live-action misstep.

Do you think Johnny Depp will return to the Disney kingdom for more Pirates movies? Should the franchise continue the story or reboot itself? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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