If Margot Robbie-starring Pirates of the Caribbean 6 announced in 2020 will even happen, let alone who else will appear in the movie and whether it will follow the original series. However, if there is a new installment in store for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the movie could do worse than to borrow the approach taken by another contentious, much-delayed blockbuster sequel.
While it has been five years since the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie hit theaters, the Top Gun: Maverick has been in the works for a staggering 36 years. However, while the new Tom Cruise movie features several returning cast , it also includes new faces front and center. Beyond Cruise himself, Top Gun: Maverick introduces the likes of Miles Teller and Monica Barbaro, firmly establishing the next generation of characters.
Top Gun: Maverick’s trailer appears to imply that the movie has nailed the right balance between a reboot and a direct sequel, something that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 would do well to learn from. The final Top Gun: Maverick trailer hides Val Kilmer’s Iceman and plays down Tom Cruise’s titular role, taking a while to even concede that the actor is in the movie as the teaser instead focuses on establishing the new cast’s chemistry. This is the best approach that a prospective Pirates of the Caribbean 6 could take, gradually phasing out Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow while establishing his replacements. Removing the character entirely in the next outing will sink the Pirates of the Caribbean series while re-hiring the actor and relying on him as the movie’s main draw will only recreate the same issues that plagued the fourth and fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Instead, what Pirates of the Caribbean 6 must do is treat Depp’s Sparrow the way that Scream 2022, which held off on reintroducing legacy characters like Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers until fans were firmly certain that they cared about the new cast .
By the time Sidney arrived into the action of Scream 2022, she was a welcome addition to the cast but far from the only reason for fans to continue watching the movie. The reason Pirates of the Caribbean’s sequels failed to recreate the original movie’s success is that each subsequent franchise installment relied more and more on Depp’s Sparrow to prop up the movie. Thus, to win back fans, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 needs to find a replacement worth caring about and promote them like Top Gun: Maverick has, only to then later reveal that the old lead character will still return alongside these newcomers. If it can successfully repeat this trick, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 can be a success.
