Originally, Matthew McConaughey was considered for the role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean 6, Johnny Depp is central to the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The series grew to rely on Depp’s role as rebellious pirate Jack Sparrow more and more with each sequel, with the character graduating from a ing star to a co-lead between the first and second movies and becoming the lone protagonist of the franchise by the fourth outing.
However, Depp wasn’t the first actor considered for the now-famous part. Although it might be difficult to imagine given how iconic the actor’s take on the role now is, stars as diverse as Robert DeNiro and Cary Elwes were considered before Depp eventually gained the part. Even earlier than that, Matthew McConaughey was originally slated to star as the Pirates of the Caribbean antihero.
When the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl was written, the first draft of the screenplay featured a feckless, charming pirate who helped the hero free his love interest from a villainous captain. Because of his resemblance to Burt Lancaster (who had inspired the character), Matthew McConaughey was considered for the role before Depp came on board. McConaughey winning the part over Depp would have had massive implications for both actors' careers and could have reshaped the entire history of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
The Pirates of the Caribbean McConaughey Almost Starred In
More of a straightforward pirate story than the finished film (which was something that the executives at Disney complained about), the original script for Pirates of the Caribbean would have seen Will Turner rescuing Elizabeth from a pirate holding her for ransom. In the version of the movie that McConaughey was attached to, there were no supernatural elements. Memorable Pirates of the Caribbean villains like Davy Jones, Tia Dalma, and the Kraken would have been tougher to introduce in this iteration of the franchise, which relied more on swordplay than sorcery for its thrills. However, an executive at Disney noted that paranormal elements were part of what made the Pirates of the Caribbean ride so popular at Disneyworld, resulting in rewrites that incorporated the movie’s fantastical zombie pirates and curses.
How Pirates of the Caribbean Would Have Changed McConnaughey's Career
If Matthew McConaughey had starred in Pirates of the Caribbean, the odds are good that there would never have been an early 2010’s” McConaughey-sance” as the actor would never have left the spotlight. McConaughey’s reinvention as a brooding indie star came about because of stellar turns in the likes of Dallas Buyer’s Club, True Detective, and Mud. However, this career shift was made possible by McConaughey not headlining a major franchise. Regular Pirates of the Caribbean sequels would have kept him in the public consciousness, so his revival wouldn’t have been necessary or possible. If it weren’t for the blockbuster/rom-com leading man roles drying up in the late 2000’ after flops like Failure To Launch and Sahara, McConaughey would never have needed to prove himself later in his career, meaning some of his most critically acclaimed roles likely wouldn’t have happened if he led the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
How McConnaughey Would Have Played Jack Sparrow
While McConaughey’s career renaissance allowed him to showcase his range and the depth of his acting abilities, it is worth noting that (early on at least) Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow earned him an Oscar nomination and massive critical acclaim. As such, it could be argued that McConaughey might have gotten his career boost earlier if he had starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. However, this argument is something of a misnomer. After all, there’s almost no chance that McConaughey would have brought the offbeat campiness that made Depp’s Sparrow famous to the role. Odds are McConaughey's Sparrow would be more laid-back and classically cool, which could make for a much less distinctive and memorable ing character. Evidence for this claim can be found in 2005’s Sahara, where McConaughey had an opportunity to make a standard adventure movie protagonist into something more entertaining and original, and instead opted to rely on his standard-issue smooth southern charm by playing the role on autopilot.
How Losing Pirates of the Caribbean Would Have Affected Depp’s Career
It is easy to see how Depp playing Jack Sparrow deprived McConaughey of a blockbuster franchise and facilitated the actor's 2010’s comeback, but the question of how losing the role would have affected Depp's career is harder to answer. Depp was already a superstar when he took on Pirates of the Caribbean and he arguably could have benefitted from not getting the role, since the likes of Mortdecai, The Lone Ranger, and numerous other high-profile flops later in Depp’s career have their roots in attempts to replicate Jack Sparrow. However, Depp’s Sparrow is also his most enduringly popular character, one that earned him an Oscar nomination, and one that funded his smaller more personal projects, so missing out on the role would likely have been a huge loss to his career.
Would Depp Have Been Better Off Without Pirates of the Caribbean?
As the prospect of Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. As such, while it is clear that Matthew McConaughey managed to come back from losing out on Pirates of the Caribbean, the question of how the role affected Depp's career is harder to tell.
