As the actor bounces back from his infamous legal battles with Amber Heard, producer Jerry Bruckheimer addresses whether Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow could be killed off. Depp quickly became the face of Disney's swashbuckling franchise based on their amusement park ride, with the actor even netting a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as the drunk and eccentric pirate captain in the original film. Sparrow would serve as the main character for all five movies, though his future was put in doubt amid legal troubles surrounding his ex-wife and his last film, , scoring generally mixed reviews and lackluster box office receipts.

While speaking with to discuss his expansive career, Jerry Bruckheimer opened up about the future of the franchise. When asked about the possibility of , the prolific producer shut down the notion, recalling how they attempted to do so once before, only for it to not have worked. See what Bruckheimer said below:

 You can’t [kill Captain Jack Sparrow]. We tried to kill him. It didn’t work. 

Will Johnny Depp Return To POTC?

Bruckheimer has remained optimistic about the possibility of Depp returning for a sequel sometime in the future, confirming development continues on both , though notes the former is taking priority at Disney. Depp, however, seemingly shut down the possibility of his return during the recent trial between him and Heard, saying he would reject a $300 million offer to take on the mantle of Jack Sparrow once again. The Golden Globe winner cited a strained relationship with Disney for his lack of interest in coming back for , but has not spoken out further in the six months since he won his trial on his potential return.

Should POTC Kill Off Jack Sparrow?

Even if Depp does return to the fold, the question on many audiences minds remains whether Jack Sparrow should remain the lead character in the franchise. Though considered the breakout character of the original film, most acknowledge the leads of the first three stories to actually be and Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann, two people whose lives were upended by Jack invading their existences. Though focused squarely on Jack, its follow-up, , brought the focus back to Will and Elizabeth, focusing on their son, Brenton Thwaites' Henry, as he tries to find a way to break his father's curse aboard the .

Though ended with a post-credits stinger teasing the return of Bill Nighy's Davy Jones, it still largely concluded all of Jack's threads, seeing him reclaim the and resuming his captaining across the seas. With the 2017 film even going so far as to retcon , it seems that there's very little ground left to cover for Depp's character in the future, save for giving him a closing chapter. While audiences await word on Depp's potential return, and the franchise's future as a whole, they can revisit the movies streaming on Disney+.