The possibility of a return to the Disney fold for Johnny Depp has seemed unlikely for years, after a bitter court battle with ex-wife Amber Heard left his reputation in tatters. But it seems the Hollywood star is dissatisfied with what remains of his reported $900 million fortune, and could be set for an astonishing comeback to the billion-dollar franchise that made him a star. Director Jerry Bruckheimer has shared in an interview that he is in talks with Johnny about returning for a sixth Pirates Of The Caribbean film. The role could net Johnny over $22.5 million, despite the actor previously declaring he would never reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, even if he were offered '$300m and a million alpacas.' Despite winning his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber, the fallout has seen Johnny's career hit the doldrums, and while he has been plotting a comeback of sorts, his net worth is now thought to be close to $149 million. Hinting at Johnny's return, Jerry told Deadline: 'We're talking with Johnny, we're working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done.'

Since Johnny first played the hero in 2003, the Pirates films have earned $4.5 billion dollars at the box office, and he himself boosted his bank balance by an eye-watering $300 million across the five films. Johnny's future with Disney was in doubt following his highly-publicised legal battle with Amber, but the actor has begun to lay the groundwork for a comeback this year with two big screen roles. During his legal row with Amber in 2018, Johnny's agent Jack Whigham claimed he was set to earn a $22.5 million payday to reprise his role in a sixth Pirates film. Speaking in his testimony, he said: 'It was trending badly in the late fall on behalf of Disney. 'But Jerry Bruckheimer and I were lobbying to make it happen, and so we had hope. And it became clear to me in early 2019 that it was over.' Johnny's career hit the doldrums in the wake of his legal row with Amber, as along with Disney cutting ties, Warner Bros' asked him to step down from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film series. He famously lost the libel action which he brought at the UK High Court in 2020, after being called a 'wife beater', but successfully brought a libel action against Amber in a US court in 2022.

The jury also ruled with Heard on one of her three countersuit claims, finding Johnny's lawyer had defamed her in that instance. Following a highly publicised trial, Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. She was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages for her countersuit against the actor. As a result of the controversy, Johnny's reputation took a battering with his stock as one of the world's leading actors dramatically falling amid sensational headlines of domestic abuse, sexual violence, drug taking and excessive drinking. During this time, Johnny continued to work in smaller independent films, including Waiting for the Barbarians.

In 2023 he starred in the French film Jeanne du Barry and Modì, which saw him grace the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. The star has also maintained his fragrance campaign with designer Dior, and in 2023 he managed to renegotiate his contract with Dior to upwards of $20m. Johnny's lavish spending had also taken a hit, as he's sold off five penthouses in Los Angeles, his Kentucky horse farm, his $14.3 million yacht, and his art collection for $3.6 million. But Johnny now has two big roles on the horizon that could provide a welcome boost to his hopes of a comeback with the first being as Ebenezer Scrooge in the upcoming movie Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.

A source shared with the Daily Mail that Depp received an 'incredible reception' from the Comic-Con crowd when he appeared in character on the stage, and that some fans in the front row were 'dressed up' as some of his 'most iconic characters.' Depp is famed for his eye-catching transformations for parts including Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka and The Mad Hatter, and he has once again disappeared behind the makeup to play the curmudgeonly Scrooge. Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol was directed by Ti West, who is also known for films such as X, Pearl and MaXXXine.

Other stars that have been cast in the project include Harry Potter alum Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Tramell Tillman and Ian McKellen. The movie is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novel. Depp has also taken on a major role in the upcoming action thriller Day Drinker, which is set to be released in 2027. He joins other cast members such as his longtime friend Penelope Cruz and Madelyn Cline. Last year, Lionsgate dropped a first look at Depp in character for the project as he sported silver hair, a bushy gray beard and blue contacts.