Disney Production Head Says Pirates of the Caribbean Reboot Won’t Star Johnny Depp

Disney head of production Sean Bailey spoke with THR for a new interview and discussed the future of Pirates of the Caribbean without Johnny Depp. Bailey was asked about Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool) being brought on to write a reboot of the franchise, and whether the series can survive without Depp as Jack Sparrow.

“We want to bring in a new energy and vitality,” Bailey said. “I love the [Pirates] movies, but part of the reason Paul and Rhett are so interesting is that we want to give it a kick in the pants. And that’s what I’ve tasked them with.”

At the time of the original report back in October, it was not clear if any of the original cast would return. Per Bailey’s comments, that will not be the case.