The sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean will no longer be solely about Captain Jack Sparrow. According to sources at Deadline, the next chapter in the franchise will focus on a character played by Margot Robbie, with Captain Jack taking a supporting role. According to Bruckheimer, the team is writing the script and hopes to move the project into production.
Therefore, if negotiations for Depp's return conclude successfully, Jack Sparrow would only serve as a supporting character, while the new story's central female lead will be the character played by Margot Robbie. Deadline notes that this approach represents an evolution for the franchise, rather than just another film centered on Captain Jack Sparrow.
In the five films released so far, Johnny Depp has portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in all five Pirates of the Caribbean movies, from The Curse of the Black Pearl to Dead Men Tell No Tales. The latest installment in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in 2017 and grossed $795.9 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise. The five Pirates of the Caribbean films have collectively earned $4.5 billion at the global box office.