There aren’t too many names in the Hollywood industry than Dwayne Johnson and Johnny Depp.
Both actors got their start at different times and through different channels, but they both have gone on to make millions of dollars, starring in countless blockbuster films. Of course, in the present day, things are looking much different for both actors, as well.
Dwayne Johnson is in the midst of giving the XFL, the football league he purchased from Vince McMahon, his best. In addition, he has seemingly left Warner Bros. and the DC Universe after behind-the-scenes controversy regarding his film Black Adam (2022), and the takeover from James Gunn. Johnson just announced that he’d be returning to Disney for a live-action adaptation of Moana (2016), which has been met with an array of reactions.
Johnny Depp, on the other hand, seems about as far away from a Disney reunion as potentially possible. Though he essentially won the defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard and all legal battles have come to a halt, Depp has been reportedly blacklisted from Hollywood. The actor recently moved away from Hollywood and has been living in London, working on building his acting and music career in Europe.
Still, the elephant in the room when it comes to these two actors is none other than Pirates of the Caribbean 6.
In a recent report, comments from Dwayne Johnson surfaced surrounding a time when he almost replaced Johnny Depp, but not for a movie that you might have expected.
“Tim Burton had considered me to play Willy Wonka is his remake, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I remember thinking ‘Holy sh*t, I’m in!’, Johnson said. “But that was many years ago when I was just starting out in Hollywood with no foundation of global box office strength or any real acting experience to even pull it off. The role, of course went to Johnny Depp, who at that time was the biggest star in the world.”
Will Dwayne Johnson replace Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
It’s certainly interesting to hear that Johnson was the second choice for Tim Burton to play Willy Wonka, a role that ultimately went to Burton’s close friend Johnny Depp.
But, the big question is if the next run-in will be different.
Disney has reportedly considered several options in terms of options for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. One of the most prominent options is Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Though Disney would face scrutiny and backlash for having a POTC film without Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnson’s charisma and “star power” might be enough to still draw a solid box office number.
The questions, however, are simple: Would Disney really want to risk that amount of money for a film that it knows will upset a large portion of its fanbase? And, would Dwayne Johnson be willing to come into a movie that he knows is going to garner a lot of backlash on him for replacing a beloved figure?
When thinking about these questions, it only makes sense for Johnson to play a role in Pirates of the Caribbean if it’s alongside Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow). Perhaps the money would be too much to pass up, but we’d imagine it would take a lot of convincing at this point for Johnson to take on that role, knowing the amount of backlash that could come with it.
As far as his Disney future is concerned, The Rock is expected to play Maui in the live-action Moana remake, and he’s expected to reprise his role as Skipper Frank Wolfe at some point in the future for Jungle Cruise 2. The release dates of these two films have yet to be released.
