On November 14, Margot Robbie revealed that Disney had decided not to move forward with her Pirates of the Caribbean film. While the film had never been confirmed, Robbie had been speaking with Disney for months about the film. Jerry Bruckheimer — who produced all the films in the original franchise — even admitted that there were two Pirates of the Caribbean scripts in the works — a film with a completely new story starring Robbie, and an untitled Pirates of the Caribbean 6.
With Robbie’s project scrapped, many wonder what will happen to the franchise and who the new star will be. Many die-hard fans want Johnny Depp to return to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, but that seems unlikely to happen. Well, according to reports, Disney seems to be interested in a young actor known for his roles in the Teen Wolf series and The Maze Runner film franchise — Dylan O’Brien.
Per a report from Giant Freakin Robot:
Teen Wolf actor Dylan O’Brien is currently the number one pick to potentially be selected as the lead of a new Pirates of the Caribbean series on Disney+. According to our trusted and proven sources, Dylan O’Brien is under strong consideration for the revival of the Pirates franchise, which has been dormant since Dead Men Tell No Tales was released in 2017. As we previously reported, Disney looks to be bringing back one of its most profitable IPs in episodic form, which matches a lot else that has been happening in the entertainment mega-company.
Johnny Depp had been preparing to return to Pirates of the Caribbean 6, but was dropped from the franchise when his ex-wife Amber Heard accused him of domestic abuse. The move reportedly cost Depp $22 million, and he sued Heard for $150 million for defamation. The ex-couple had a very emotionally-charged and public trial. In the end, Depp was awarded more than $10 million.
Neither Disney nor O’Brien has commented on the casting rumors.