Videos of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow being projected onto the Magic Kingdom Castle in Disneyland Paris have recently gone viral, with fans pointing out that Disney has continued to make money with the Pirates of the Caribbean character even after dropping the actor from the franchise back in 2018.
CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW SHINING ON THE DISNEYLAND PARIS CASTLE ????☠️ pic.twitter.com/PIJvv8oFAU
— E L I S A ???????????? (@deppressead) June 18, 2022
While some news outlets reported that this was the first time Jack Sparrow has been featured in the illumination and fireworks display since Depp won his high-profile trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, a number of fans noted that Disneyland Paris didn’t actually stop using the image of Jack Sparrow after Disney distanced itself from the actor during the onset of his highly publicized troubles with Heard.
But now that the tide is turning after Depp won the trial against Heard, whose allegations caused a wave of industry backlash against the former, some fans think that it’s time for Disney to apologize to the Pirates of the Caribbean star.
Funny how they parted ways with him due to the false accusations of “the defendant”, yet they monetize day in and day out with his image all over the world. Time for an apology and for making it right for Johnny!
— A T M (@atm18us) June 19, 2022
Yeah so @Disney care apologizing to Johnny Depp?
— Nora Girl (@NoraGirl19) June 18, 2022
One question: Can Disney use the image of Johnny Depp? you kicked him out and still you keep exploiting his image? I mean…
— Rumi (@NJLxx) June 18, 2022
Its a performance they have been doing for a number of years & while I whole heartedly agree they truly need to publicly apologize to JD …this really shouldn’t have a bearing on that.
— Advocate (@TalkTruth2Power) June 21, 2022
Disney should make a public apology to Johnny Depp!!! And offer him work even if he wants to turn it down pic.twitter.com/DrApxKx7pY
— Joyce (@joyceswift26) June 19, 2022
Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
Johnny Depp made his debut appearance as pirate lord Jack Sparrow in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He later reprised the role in the sequels Dead Man’s Chest (2006), At World’s End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
But following the controversies involving the actor, Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, announced in 2018 that a new Pirates of the Caribbean film without Depp in the lead role is in the works, confirming the company’s plan to retire the Jack Sparrow character and replace him with a brand-new pirate character.
During his trial, Depp revealed that he understood why Disney decided to distance itself from him. “Two years had gone by of constant worldwide talk about me being this wife-beater. So, I’m sure that Disney was trying to cut ties to be safe,” he said.
Will Johnny Depp return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise?
Though Depp previously made it clear that he was done with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a former Disney executive said earlier this month that the actor’s return to the franchise is inevitable.
“I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board,” the ex-Disney exec told People. “There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture.”
The insider went on to say that “with [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer riding high on the massive success of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, there is huge appetite for bringing back bankable Hollywood stars in massively popular franchises.”
While Johnny Depp fans would like to see the actor play Jack Sparrow once again, recent reports about Pirates of the Caribbean suggest that Disney is looking to reboot the franchise with Margot Robbie as the lead star.