Sometimes a person has to know when to say that enough is enough. Without trying to get into the muck that became the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard divorce proceedings, let’s just say that Depp did get the short end of the stick when it came to how this event has affected his career. While Heard has been able to maintain her movie career, Depp was dumped from not one, but two franchises. Well, maybe dumped is too harsh when it comes to his possible future in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but the fact that Mads Mikkelsen replaced him in Fantastic Beasts is more than a little telling. As of now, it sounds as though Depp is done with the Pirates franchise, as the rumors are flying that he wouldn’t accept another offer from Disney no matter what number was written on the price tag. In a way, it does sound like something that might be a bit petulant and built from sore feelings that could have arisen from the way Depp has been treated in recent years. But when all is said and done, it’s fair to think that it’s simply the right choice.
Don’t get me wrong, it would be great to see the return of Captain Jack Sparrow since he was one of the key characters that made the Pirates movies what they were. But whether it was an issue with the dialogue or the overall story, the last couple of Pirates movies didn’t come off as great as the original three did. A lot of people would state that the franchise didn’t feel the same after the first movie, but with opinions being what they are, it feels fair to state that everything up to At World’s End was easy to enjoy, while On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell NO Tales felt a bit flat by comparison.
But one reason why Depp’s lack of desire to go any further with the Pirates movies could be the fact that he’s been raked over the coals in response to his less than amicable divorce with Amber Heard, and the lack of faith that was shown in him might be one reason that he’s done with the franchise. One could say that Disney was playing it safe since it’s easy to see how this might happen to anyone who becomes a liability. And yet, as mentioned, Heard didn’t lose much, if anything, while Depp was dropped like a bad habit. When there’s an obvious lack of faith displayed by one’s employers, it tends to leave a bad taste in one’s mouth, especially after one has done such great things for their employer before this moment. It could be said that this is Hollywood, and such things happen all the time. But while it is true that people have been dropped from one role or another after controversy of some sort, it does feel as though Disney has become more than a little hypocritical over the years when dealing with one talented individual or another. The Mouse House isn’t alone in this failing, since many other studios have decided to keep backing stars that have displayed various issues, or have dumped them without hesitation to protect their own image.
What’s truly amusing to those of us that are watching this happen is that there is little if any real justice when it comes to who is cut off and who is kept on when it comes to their controversial dealings. Without going too deeply into the different matters that have shown how chaotic Hollywood can be when dispensing what is considered to be ‘justice’, in terms of who is kept and who is let go, it becomes obvious after a while that one bias or another is often used when making such decisions. In other words, there is no real justice in show business, there is only who can curry enough favor with the studio, and who will be tossed to the wolves after being seen as a risk that can’t be taken. In a lot of ways it’s like being back in high school again, but with much higher stakes and far more drama. When all is said and done Depp is still a great actor, so it’s fair to think that the Pirates movies need him more than he needs them.
It’s lamentable to think that we might not see Captain Jack again, but at the same time, it’s easy to think that he might not be the same character that we’ve enjoyed for so long anyway. The last two movies have shown that things have changed quite a bit, and as such it does feel as though it’s best to say goodbye to the character if Depp isn’t willing to come back. It’s tough to work for someone that’s shown no faith in you after all, so it’s not hard to comprehend why Depp might just walk away.
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