Johnny Depp is opening up about whether he would ever step back into the iconic boots of Captain Jack Sparrow for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 with a playful challenge to his former castmate, Orlando Bloom.
Years after declaring he wouldn’t work with Disney again following his high-profile court battles and exit from the multi-billion-dollar franchise, the 63-year-old actor appears to have softened his stance.
Depp and Bloom appeared together in four of the franchise’s five films. Together, as Sparrow and Will Turner, the actors had an undeniable on-screen chemistry that seamlessly balanced Sparrow’s unpredictable swashbuckling against Turner’s straight-laced heroism.
When asked by PEOPLE Magazine whether or not he would consider a return to the wildly successful film franchise, Depp answered by issuing a challenge to Bloom. His response cracked the door open enough to entertain the possibility of one final ride.
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Without confirming or denying his interest in reprising the role, Depp told the outlet, “Well, I think we should have a contest of who can grow the fastest non-beard. Because neither of us can grow a beard, I don’t think. I can’t, for sure, but maybe he can. I don’t know.”
In September, Bloom told Entertainment Weekly that he continues to keep in contact with his longtime friend and sometime co-star. “I do connect with [Depp] every now and again, because he’s amazing,” the actor explained.
“But I think it’s like, [Pirates] was so fun, and it was such a zeitgeist-y thing. I mean, I don’t know how they do it or when they do it, but I haven’t heard,” he continued.
Bloom added, “I don’t know. I think nostalgia is such a big thing in the world today. So we keep harking back to these things, because of the nostalgia and the feeling you had watching whatever your favorite thing was. There’s that kind of thing that I think we’re seeing in movies as well. So we’ll see.”
In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Depp added that if he did consider reprising the role of Jack Sparrow, he wants to ensure the beloved character gets his moment to shine.
“If things are exactly where they need to be with regard to how they are going to top off the Pirates franchise. The only involvement I really want to have, truly, is just to send them off on a better note,” the actor said.
He added, “I will go to work with [Jerry] Bruckheimer tomorrow for anything. Doesn’t matter. If it’s Jerry, I trust him. We have a deep friendship.”
In turn, Bruckheimer said, “Of course, if it were up to me, I would love to have him back in the movie. He’s a great actor and a good friend. We’ll see what happens.”
Depp first played the swashbuckling role 23 years ago in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He reprised the role in four sequels, including 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest, 2007’s At World’s End, 2011’s On Stranger Tides, and the fifth installment, Dead Men Tell No Tales, released in 2017.
Johnny Depp stars in Ebenezer, which hits theaters November 13, 2026.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Nov 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Movies section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
