After he emerged victorious in his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, a onetime exec for Walt Disney Studios thinks Johnny Depp might return as Capt. Jack Sparrow in his long-running Pirates of the Caribbean series.
“I absolutely believe post-verdict that Pirates is primed for rebooting with Johnny as Capt. Jack back on board,” the former exec tells PEOPLE. “There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture.”
Depp, 58, sued Heard, 36, for $50 million, accusing her of libelling him with a 2018 op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post in which she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The three-time Oscar nominee claimed her article ruined his career and led to a series of cancelled film projects, including a sixth Pirates feature.
Heard hit back with her own $100 million counterclaim after the star’s former lawyer Adam Waldman called her allegations an “abuse hoax.” Both accused one another of ruining their respective careers.
The jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages.
Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in his defamation suit. But the jury also awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages, finding that Waldman defamed her when he claimed that she and her friends staged property damage after an alleged fight.
After the jury ruled in his favour, Depp issued a statement to his PEOPLE.
