Pirates of the Caribbean Petition To Bring Back Johnny Depp Nears 300K

Attachment 45158

An old online petition calling for Disney to bring Johnny Depp back to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has resurfaced, nearing 300k signatures. Depp's iconic performance as the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow was a significant factor for the Pirates of the Caribbean films' massive success since 2003's The Curse of the Black Pearl, which landed him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. However, the blockbuster franchise ultimately fell flat with its fifth movie Dead Men Tell No Tales, which introduced new characters and was criticized for its convoluted plot. Disney announced they were rebooting the franchise with a sixth movie that would not include Depp's Jack Sparrow. Fans were upset that Depp would not reprise his role as Captain Jack, who, for many, is the heart of the franchise.

Meanwhile, Depp has been in the midst of a messy legal battle with his ex-wife and Amber Heard since their divorce in 2016. Heard obtained a restraining order against Depp, accusing him of physically and verbally abusing her. In the latest suit in the protracted legal battle, Depp claimed defamation against the U.K. publication The Sun after the actor was referred to as a "wife-beater" in one of their articles. Shortly after the U.K. judge ruled against Depp in the case, Depp announced on Instagram that Warner Bros. had asked him to step down from his role as Grindelwald in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts 3.

With the news that Depp was asked to resign from his Grindelwald role, a petition on Change.org has resurfaced, calling for Disney to bring Depp back as Jack Sparrow to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The petition, which was created two years ago by Riza Siddiqui, has reached nearly 300k signatures. "Disney is rebooting Dead Men Tell No Tales because of its box office but don't they know that without Johnny Depp or Jack Sparrow they will sink, they will never be able to reach that horizon they are looking for," the petition reads.

Attachment 45159

This is not the first petition to recently emerge from Depp's controversies. Following the news of Depp stepping down from Fantastic Beasts 3, a petition was launched on Change.org demanding that Heard be fired from her role as Mera in the upcoming Aquaman 2, believing that Heard should face the same consequences as Depp. The petition surpassed one million signatures, but Warner Bros. ultimately cannot fire Heard as they did Depp. It is typically impossible for a studio to break their contract with an actor if criminal charges haven't been filed against them.

While Doctor Strange's Mads Mikkelsen is in talks to take over from Depp, who appeared as Grindelwald in the first two films of the Harry Potter spinoff series, fans are upset that Depp will not be returning for yet another one of his roles. Regardless of whether the petition makes any change, the Pirates of the Caribbean films would not have been nearly as successful without Depp, and fans will feel his absence in future films.