Summary

• Actor Damian O'Hare reflects positively on his experience in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
• The franchise actor understands why the franchise would need to be rebooted, even joking about a possible spinoff for his character.
• Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is in development, with the movie's producer confirming it will be a reboot.

Pirates of the Caribbean actor Damian O'Hare reflects on the legacy and potential future of the franchise. Following the adventures of Johnny Depp's swashbuckling pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, the franchise began in 2003 with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was a box office smash-hit, grossing $654.3 million against a production budget of $140 million. The film was credited with reinvigorating the pirate genre and spawned four financially successful sequels. Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is in development, but there are questions about the franchise's future since it seems that franchise star Depp will not return, following off-screen legal issues.

Recently, Screen Rant spoke with O'Hare who currently appears on his Apple TV+ show Manhunt. The actor, who played Lieutenant Gillette in The Curse of the Black Pearl and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, gave his thoughts on the franchise's reboot direction and even joked that he wants a spinoff for his own character. He also spoke about his own experience in the franchise. Read his full comments below:

"But where it goes, I don't know. I've just seen briefly they're talking about rebooting the whole franchise, which sort of makes sense to me. I mean, there's been, what, five now? So, I was in the first one, and then they forgot about me in 2 and 3. [Chuckles] And then randomly, I got a call and they wanted to bring Gillette back for the fourth one, so I went and met up with a few of the guys for, I think I had four months in Hawaii. That was a hard decision to make.

It was great to reunite with Geoffrey Rush, who was an absolute dream, and I think there was only two or three from the original picture that were still in there. But, obviously, it was just wonderful. That was only my second screen job, I think I'd just done one TV show before that, and then the next thing, I was in Hollywood making that picture. It's such a cinematic sort of royalty, that picture, certainly the first one.

When people talk about it, they talk about it with a lot of love, so I hope they have success with whatever they do. Jerry is a good, steady hand on the tiller, I think, so whatever he does, I'm sure it will be a success. I want a spinoff of Gillette. Why not? I'm up for it."

Will Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Happen?

Can The Franchise Set Sail Without Johnny Depp?

Alongside the sixth movie, there have been developments for a spinoff movie with names, like Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), being floated around as potential stars.

While a sixth movie will likely happen, there has been no release date, while plot and cast details have been kept under wraps. The end of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 featured a Will and Elizabeth cameo, which could set the stage for stars Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley to return to the franchise in the upcoming movie. However, a Pirates of the Caribbean movie without Depp does feel like a big creative risk, which also hasn't been responded to well by audiences.

If the next installment is indeed a soft reboot, there will likely be a brand-new cast. While the soft reboot approach allows legacy characters to mark a return, it's unclear if that could happen. For instance, Knightley ruled out the chances of reprising her role of Elizabeth when she was asked last year.

Furthermore, the movie's direction is also up in the air. This past March, franchise producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 would be a reboot, reasoning that "you don't have to wait for certain actors." Before that comment, he had teased the chance of Depp returning as his iconic character, although nothing was confirmed. If the decision stands, the sixth movie would mark the first without Depp's involvement.

The franchise's creative direction could be due for a change. Alongside the sixth movie, there have been developments for a spinoff movie with names, like Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), being floated around as potential stars. Nevertheless, the early stages of the sixth movie will focus on securing the right creative team, both in front of and behind the camera. If Disney can successfully iron out the plot details, there is a chance that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 could be another big hit for Disney.