Johnny Depp Open to One More Pirates of the Caribbean Film, With One Condition for Jack Sparrow

Could Johnny Depp don the tricorner hat and dreadlocked wig again? It’s a question that’s come up again because the marketing team behind Ebenezer really, really want you to remember all the quirky, larger-than-life characters Johnny Depp became popular playing, including Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka, the Mad Hatter, and Captain Jack Sparrow. The implication being that if you loved him in those roles, you’ll love what promises to be an equally big, weird performance as Scrooge. Conversely, if you love Scrooge, maybe you’ll love Jack Sparrow again. And Depp is certainly not ruling out a return to the role so iconic it’s part of multiple Disney park rides to this day.

Entertainment Tonight had a chance to ask Depp directly if we could see him set sail again. The actor comes across incredibly measured in his response, but it’s clear that there is one more thing he’d like to do in his most famous franchise role.

Johnny Depp Wants a Satisfying Ending for Captain Jack

“The only involvement that I really want to have, truly, is just to send them off on a better note,” Depp said. Compared to Gore Verbinski’s original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, parts 4 and 5 were not as popular with fans or critics, but they made money, nonetheless. The last one, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was the lowest grossing of the series, and still made $795.9 million worldwide, to become the highest grossing in outside-of-North-America territories. With Depp getting older — he’s 63 as of this writing — possibilities for more adventures have focused on going younger, with Margot Robbie eyed as a potential new lead. Dead Men Tell No Tales suggested Jack Sparrow was losing his mojo, and introduced a younger version in flashback who could potentially spin off into prequels. Geoffrey Rush’s Barbossa, Jack’s longtime frenemy, was killed off with a noble sacrifice. Reactions were rough, and it’s understandable that Depp might want a better ending, possibly with a glorious sacrifice of his own. Check out his full comments below:

Depp has been a controversial figure offscreen in recent years, facing accusations of domestic violence from his ex Amber Heard, at least one on-set violent outburst from coworkers, and an inability to remember his lines. The Fantastic Beasts movies dropped him as arch-villain Grindelwald in favor of Mads Mikkelsen at the height of the controversies. After Depp and Heard reached a legal settlement, however, Hollywood appeared to consider the matter concluded; hence, Ebenezer. Jerry Bruckheimer also seems willing to take him back, and Depp to work for him, with the actor saying, “I’ll go to work with Bruckheimer tomorrow for anything. You know, doesn’t matter. If it’s Jerry, I trust him, and we have [a] deep friendship.”

It’s understandable Depp would feel gratitude towards Bruckheimer for the Pirates movies — he took a conventionally written role and made it into something weird and distinctive, channeling Keith Richards as a buccaneer. Richards himself would join the series later as Jack’s dad, and Depp’s eccentric tics would become a trademark of the whole series, now a franchise unthinkable without him. Though the movie was based on an older Disneyland ride, Jack Sparrow animatronics were added to it once it became clear he was the main character associated with the property. Given the reaction to the last two films, there’s no guarantee that a new “final” chapter for Jack would be well-received, but it sounds as though Depp would like to try. Geoffrey Rush, meanwhile, is happy with his ending, but would consider appearing as a ghost to annoy Jack.

Do you want to see Depp give Captain Jack a grand send-off? Tell us if “ye arrr” up for it in comments.