Geoffrey Rush on potential Pirates return, who could replace Johnny Depp

Last Updated on July 18, 2024

For too long, fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean series have been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. And while that’s a pretty complicated matter, one thing is for sure: Captain Hector Barbossa is no more. Unless, of course, Disney finds a way to bring him back…But what about Johnny Depp? Barbossa himself, Geoffrey Rush, has taken the helm to comment on both and the future of Pirates.

Speaking with Collider, Geoffrey Rush said that even though Barbossa sacrificed himself in 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he returns if a sixth Pirates entry does in fact get made. “I did come up with a good idea, which is classically based. Hamlet’s father comes back as a ghost, and I just said, ‘I can come back…’” Considering the number of ghosts who show up, Barbossa’s fate may not be entirely sealed up in Davy Jones’ locker.

But the key Pirates casting decision – all due respect to Geoffrey Rush – is that of Johnny Depp. A number of names have circled the deck as far as who could take over the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise if Depp doesn’t return, with rumors hitting everyone from Austin Butler to Edebiri, with Margot Robbie evidently poised to lead a seventh entry. If it is in fact someone other than Depp, Rush sees it as a monumental challenge. “Whoever takes over from Johnny, I don’t know what’s gonna happen there. He’s irreplaceable. Jack Sparrow is the new Robert Newton,” referring to the British actor best known for helping popularize the Aarr, matey!-type “pirate speak” we all know thanks to his portrayals of Long John Silver in Treasure Island and Blackbeard in Blackbeard the Pirate.

As with Newton, Depp found his signature character on the high seas – which is saying something considering his astounding filmography. Depp has been committed to the character in a way like so few other actors have, appearing as Captain Jack Sparrow at events for children and even turning up at Disneyland in character. On his commitment to bringing the pirate to life, Geoffrey Rush remembered, “He was already talking about pop stars like Keith Richards having that kind of visceral identity that you knew. He said, ‘I’m just fascinated that this character, Jack, spends half his life on land and half his life on water. What if he never really gets his sea legs?’ And that’s where that whole war came from.”

Do you think the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise needs the likes of Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley to succeed?