While Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow might be the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise’s breakout star, he is not the character that Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 truly needs to reignite interest in the series. It seems hard to believe twenty years later, but there was a time when the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise looked like a risky investment for producers. The swashbuckling adventure sub-genre had not been home to a huge hit in decades, but it had played host to major flops like 1982’s Pirates and 1995’s Cutthroat Island. Not only that, but 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl had no major A-list stars in its cast.

Relative newcomers Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom played the lead roles in the original movie while Johnny Depp provided scene-stealing support as Jack Sparrow. While Depp had a few hits to his name, few could have predicted that Pirates Of The Caribbean 6’s fate would end up relying on his return years later. Depp was elevated to superstardom by his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, the roguish antihero who helped Will Turner save Elizabeth Swann from the ghoulish crew of the Black Pearl. However, while viewers initially adored Depp’s Sparrow, subsequent sequels proved the character worked best in small doses when relegated to a supporting role.

Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Needs To Bring Back Will Turner

The original Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy was criticized for its convoluted plotting and deluge of characters. However, the franchise’s later, Jack-centric sequels were far worse, proving that a streamlined plot and more screen time for Depp were not the answer. The Pirates Of The Caribbean movies still clearly needed the heroes of the original trilogy, resulting in a last-minute silent appearance from Knightley and Bloom in the fifth movie. While Pirates Of The Caribbean 5’s cameos failed because they were an afterthought, Will is still the character with the most story left to tell out of the franchise’s main trio thanks to the unsatisfying ending of his plot.

As a result, it is Bloom’s hero who should return in Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 and not Depp’s Sparrow. Bloom’s character went through a brutally harsh arc during the original trilogy, with his romantic attachment to Swan cut short by a curse that forced him to captain the Flying Dutchman for ten long years. When Will’s tenure as the ghost ship’s captain finally came to an end, he was reunited with Elizabeth. The fifth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie subtly sets up a potential followup to this story, but the long wait between franchise instillments means that it is unlikely that Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 will revisit this plot.

Will’s Fate In The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies Left Many Questions

Will’s fate in the Pirates Of The Caribbean series leaves a lot of questions unanswered, with viewers left wondering what will happen now that Will’s time as the captain has ended. Pirates Of The Caribbean 5’s post-credits scene implied that Davy Jones would soon seek revenge on him, but it isn’t clear how Jones survived or why he waited ten years to strike. The question of who will replace Will as the Flying Dutchman’s captain is also left ambiguous, meaning Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 could explain who takes on the role in his absence. The series could also explain how often Elizabeth and Will reunited in the intervening years.

Depending on when Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 takes place, the sequel could potentially address a lot of these franchise mysteries. The series also needs to explain why Will changed so much in Pirates Of The Caribbean 5 and what his fate will be when Elizabeth eventually dies. It isn’t clear whether Will is immortal thanks to his connection to The Flying Dutchman, or if he lost all of his supernatural powers upon losing command of the ghost ship. Thus, viewers can’t tell whether he will live in peace with Elizabeth, face Davy Jones’s wrath, or be cursed to live forever when she inevitably perishes.

How Pirates Of The Caribbean Can Give Will A Proper Ending

While Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 will likely recast Depp’s Jack Sparrow with a new actor, it would not be a bad idea for the series to take the same approach with Will. If Jack is being replaced, it wouldn’t be too jarring for Will to also gain a new face. This approach would allow the creators of the series to continue its story without relying on the original cast. If anything, keeping Bloom around after replacing Depp could look more confusing. Thus, if Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 recasts Bloom’s Will Turner alongside Johnny Depp’s Sparrow, the belated sequel could give the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise hero the ending that he always deserved.