The actor will not appear in future releases, according to the original scriptwriter

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Johnny Depp will not appear in any further Pirates of the Caribbean films, according to reports.

Speaking to DailyMail TV, original screenwriter Stuart Beattie nodded when it was suggested Depp’s time as the star of the series was over.

“I think he’s had a great run,” he said. “Obviously, he’s made that character his own, and it’s become the thing that he’s most famous for now.

“And kids all over the world love him as that character, so I think it’s been great for him. It’s been great for us, so I’m just very, very happy about it.”

Depp, 55, has played the louche Captain Jack Sparrow in five films over 15 years in the Disney franchise, most recently in 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales.

On Wednesday it was reported that Disney was considering rebooting the series by drafting in Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

The previous films – inspired by a fairground ride – have in total made more than $3bn, but there have, broadly speaking, been diminishing returns with each episode.

Depp will next be seen in Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The actor has experienced a backlash amid claims of domestic violence from ex-wife Amber Heard, as well as counterclaims of financial blackmail.

The actor’s finances have also come under scrutiny after a lawsuit filed in May by former bodyguards attacked Depp’s record on wages and working conditions. In July, he was sued by a crew member allegedly punched by the actor on the set of a film about the murder of Notorious BIG. A month later, the film’s planned release was shelved.