A new rumor details that Disney wants to reboot Pirates of the Caribbean with Jumanji and Avengers star Karen Gillan.
The rumor comes from The Dis Insider and their insider Daniel Richtman.
They explain the “studio is in fact going the reboot route, and are currently looking for a female lead, and one name at the top of Disney’s list to lead the reboot is Avengers: Endgame and Jumanji: The Next Level star Karen Gillan.”
The Dis Insider editor-in-chief Skyler Shuler notes that he can confirm he’s also “heard rumblings of Gillan as early as last fall.”
Related: Pirates of the Caribbean Star Wants All-Female Ship For Next Movie
However, he does note, “As of now, it is unknown if the actress has had any formal talks with the studio, but the studio is definitely interested.”
Along with Disney looking for a female lead for this rumored Pirates of the Caribbean reboot they are also looking at “women of color” for the role as well.
No plot or character details were revealed although Shuler speculates this rumored reboot could be “centered on Redd, the popular female pirate featured in the Disney Parks attraction and is a meet-and-greet character.”
Back in December 2018, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production Sean Bailey detailed that they were pursuing a new course for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise without Johnny Depp in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
He detailed they had hired Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick for the project saying, “We want to bring in a new energy and vitality. I love the [Pirates] movies, but part of the reason Paul and Rhett are so interesting is that we want to give it a kick in the pants. And that’s what I’ve tasked them with.”
Bailey’s comments came days after Johnny Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard penned an op-ed in The Washington Post insinuating she was a victim of domestic abuse. Depp cited his loss of the lead role in the franchise as one of the reasons he was suing Heard for $50 million in a defamation lawsuit.
The lawsuit read in part, ““Just four days after Ms. Heard’s op-ed was first published on December 18, 2018, Disney announced on December 22, 2018 that it was dropping Mr. Depp from his leading role as Captain Jack Sparrow – a role that he created – in the multi-billion-dollar-earning Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.”
The Pirates film would not get off the ground with Reese and Wernick.
Almost a year later, The Hollywood Reporter would report that Disney hired former Pirates scribe Ted Elliot and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin to create a new Pirates adventure. Unlike their previous interview with Bailey, this time The Hollywood Reporter noted “it is unclear at this stage if Sparrow would return as a character or if Depp would return as actor.”
Lee Arenberg, who played Pintel in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, did confirm that Disney is talking about making another film.
He spoke with Kendall Talks TV saying, “They are definitely talking about it. As far as I know.”
Arenberg noted that he would love to come back, but was doubtful if he would reprise his role as Pinto given they already made two films without his character.
He explained, “They’ve already done two without us. I’d love it though. I love that part, but it’s not up to me, bro.”
He added, “It’s something to talk about during a pandemic though.”
Arenberg continued, “People were asking me about it on Twitter today and I was like, ‘I don’t know.’
What do you make of this rumor? Are you interested in a Pirates of the Caribbean with Karen Gillan?