Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Can Finally Break This Disappointing Franchise Trend

Published Nov 20, 2024

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As characters in Pirates of the Caribbean.

The movie franchise has given viewers some unforgettable antiheroes and villains, like Bill Nighy's octopus-headed captain Davy Jones, one of the best villains in Pirates of the Caribbean. The plots for the movies became more complicated over time, with different dimensions and even the sea goddess Calypso appearing as a central villain. However, despite the many improbable plots that the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have introduced, there is one character setup that no movie has featured yet, and it is letting the franchise down.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Has Had Two Main Female Characters Max Per Movie

The Secondary Female Characters Have Been Wasted In The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies

Promo image for Pirates-of-the-Caribbean 1 featuring Elizabeth Swann

Elizabeth Swann is a main character for the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies and turns from a reluctant corset-wearing potential fiancée to Pirate Lord and elected Pirate King. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies have never managed to give another female character a similarly fascinating story, despite having several opportunities. Angelica is formidable in On Stranger Tides, but her story revolves around the two men in her life- her father, Blackbeard, and Jack. Carina Smyth is both smart and interesting but, like Angelica, her story is tied to her father and her love interest.

Released Pirates of the Caribbean movies
Title	Year	Female characters	Rotten Tomatoes critics	Rotten Tomatoes audience
The Curse of the Black Pearl	2003	1 (Elizabeth Swann)	79%	86%
Dead Man's Chest	2006	2 (Elizabeth Swann, Tia Dalma)	53%	72%
At World's End	2007	2 (Elizabeth Swann, Tia Dalma)	43%	72%
On Stranger Tides	2011	2 (Angelica, Syrena)	32%	54%
Dead Men Tell No Tales	2017	1 (Carina Smyth)	30%	60%

Neither of the two other main female characters in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies are human, which makes them unpredictable. Tia Dalma is the imprisoned goddess Calypso, who describes herself as "a woman as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea." As Calypso is the embodiment of the sea, she could have been central to the plot of any of the movies, yet she is often treated as a comical character. Syrena is a mermaid but appears fragile while the other mermaids are predatory. The suspense that could have come from traveling with a dangerous creature was wasted, with Syrena having a stereotypical "The Little Mermaid" love story.

Margot Robbie's Spinoff Isn't The Only Pirates Of The Caribbean Movie That Needs More Women

The Curse Of The Black Pearl Already Set Up A Female Crew Storyline

Penelope Cruz as Angelica in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Margot Robbie's Pirates of the Caribbean spin-off appears more exciting than Pirates of the Caribbean 6, though both movies have been confirmed. While few details about Robbie's spin-off are currently known, it has been suggested that the movie will include more female characters and possibly an all-female pirate crew. Still, it is essential that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 also features more female characters to avoid Margot Robbie's spin-off being considered "the girl version" of the franchise. As Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will be a reboot rather than a direct sequel, this should not be a difficult task.

In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Mr Gibbs tells Jack that "it's frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard."

Many existing female Pirates of the Caribbean characters could lead their own movies after stealing the show from Jack Sparrow, and the Pirates of the Caribbean lore would not need to change to incorporate more female characters. The previous movies established a potential plotline: women are considered bad luck. In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Mr Gibbs tells Jack that "it's frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard," which could set up a storyline involving a potential stowaway, or even an all-female pirate crew that is so dangerous that just seeing them is considered bad luck.

Pirates Of The Caribbean's Approach To Female Characters Has Limited Them & Future Movies Can Do Better

The Worst Thing Both Pirates Movies Can Do Is Try To Replace Jack Sparrow

All of the female Pirates of the Caribbean characters' storylines revolve around a man, limiting their growth and potential. Syrena was reduced to a stereotype, Tia Dalma's failed romance subplot was more relevant to Davy Jones than to her, and Angelica never got to fulfill her potential as a pirate leader, ending On Stranger Tides with Jack still on her mind. Future movies have the chance to give female characters their own stories, and while Angelica has been suggested as a Jack Sparrow replacement, this is the last thing that a future Pirates of the Caribbean movie should do.

Jack Sparrow looking surprised in Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates Of The Caribbean Already Told You It Can Continue Without Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise may have a difficult time continuing without Johnny Depp, but previous movies have shown how it is possible.

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If Jack Sparrow does not return in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, trying to replace him would be impossible and would make his absence even more apparent. Instead, Kaya Scodelario could return to play Carina Smythe, Angelica's backstory could be explored, or the franchise could introduce a new character. This might be the best option, as a total reboot could offer audiences a completely different character to Jack. If Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is going to refresh the franchise, it needs a well-written cast of main characters, and more of them should be female.