Johnny Depp Jack Sparrow 'set to be replaced as Pirates 6 lead' but there's hope for fans

Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow is very much the face of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and making an adventure without his iconic character would be a huge gamble for Disney.

The 60-year-old star was originally set to return in Pirates 6 before being dropped by the studio after his ex-wife Amber Heard made domestic abuse claims, which he strongly denies.

Yet having won his libel case in the US, fans are hopeful the actor will reprise his much-loved swashbuckler.

As it stands there are two Pirates of the Caribbean movies in the works. One is Margot Robbie’s female-led spin-off and the other is the sixth installment in the main franchise.

And the latest rumour is Disney is considering a new lead for the series played by The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri.

According to reliable and respected scooper Daniel Richtman, Ayo is in consideration to play a character called Anne Bonny, who was a real-life pirate of Irish descent.

Originally, Disney was reportedly going to introduce Redd from the Disneyland Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but it looks like they may be focusing instead on a Black female lead with “a younger cast of pirates looking for a hidden treasure”.

It’s not clear yet which Pirates movie Anne would be a lead in, but there’s still hope for Depp’s Jack Sparrow return.