As fans eagerly await the next part of the beloved Disney adventure franchise, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has dropped a major hint, suggesting that the next installment of Pirates of the Caribbean will be a reboot, instead of a straight sequel.

Bruckheimer is known for producing each of the five Pirates movies that featured Johnny Depp in the iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow.

While fans were anticipating Depp’s return for the next film, Bruckheimer’s recent statement also suggests that the actor might not be a part of it anymore.

In a conversation with ComicBook[dot]com, Bruckheimer, while answering questions about the future of his hit franchises, which also include the Tom Cruise starrer ‘Top Gun’ series, said that it is hard to know how things will come together for the film.

“With ‘Top Gun,’ you have an actor who is iconic and brilliant. And how many movies he does before he does ‘Top Gun,’ I can’t tell you.

But we’re going to reboot ‘Pirates,’ so that is easier to put together because you don’t have to wait for certain actors,” he said.

The remarks clearly indicate that the makers might not wait for Johnny Depp to clear dates for working on the next Pirates film and that they will go ahead with some new faces.

Notably, this comes at a time when Depp’s relationship with Disney remains strained following his involvement in a defamation trial with his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

Although the trial verdict came in his favour, the actor’s return to the action-fantasy film franchise remains uncertain.

So far about the upcoming Pirates films

In 2020, it was reported that Disney was in early development on two ‘Pirates’ films, including a reboot with Margot Robbie in the lead role and another one in the original franchise written by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Mazin said that the script for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is “weird.”

“We pitched it and thought there’s no way they’re buying it; it’s too weird. And they did! And then, we wrote a fantastic script, and the strike happened, and everyone’s waiting around,” he added.

Talking about the five Pirates films, they have grossed over $650 million globally, with 2006’s ‘Dead Man’s Chest’ and 2011’s ‘On Stranger Tides’ both topping the $1 billion mark. Following the release of the fifth film, discussions about the sixth installment started making the rounds.