Johnny Depp has time and again proven his worth as an A-list celebrity at the box office. The question is no longer “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” but more along the lines of who should cast Johnny Depp, the MCU or the DCEU? What type of character would he play? For an actor as versatile and prolific as Mr. Depp it would seem like he’d work anywhere.
However, there are certain factors to consider based on Depp’s past roles and box office successes that can give a better indication of where he would end up. Recent litigation also throws an extra layer of complication into the mix, making the real world have a pretty large bearing on which fictional universe he’d end up with. Here’s a closer look at where this (Jack) Sparrow may fly to next.
Though he may not like to be reminded of his early days having a lead role in films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Johnny Depp has either taken part in iconic stories or completely taken on the guise of another character. He particularly excels at entering the headspace of a character, as evidenced by his role in films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas where even his speech patterns are adjusted to the point of being incomprehensible at times (keep in mind it’s a movie about doing lots of drugs).
Contrast his stilted speech in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with his mostly silent performance as Edward Scissorhands and one can see the range of his talents. What also becomes clear is his penchant for transforming into different characters. Who would have thought that the pasty guy with scissors for hands would later transform into a drunken swashbuckler like Jack Sparrow and lead a massive franchise for Disney? It’s a testament to how convincingly Depp portrays his characters; he’s fully committed even when the movie he’s in fails to match his talents, like Mortdecai or Dark Shadows.
At first thought, it seems like the DCEU would be the ideal home for Johnny Depp. Part of this is due to the fact that if he were to join it, he’d easily be one of the most high-profile actors that they’ve ever cast. Ben Affleck is a big name, but he’s on his way out. Jason Mamoa is great as Aquaman, but he’s still relatively fresh in the Hollywood scene in comparison to Depp. Johnny Depp wouldn’t have to compete for screen time in crossover films and could take on either a hero or villain role.
It stands to reason that Depp would relish the opportunity to take on a character that requires him to transform completely like he has in the past. For this reason, Depp would excel in the role of Harvey Dent. As Two-Face, Depp could latch onto the split personality of the character. Watching Depp switch back and forth between a more normal character and then delve into the madness of his other half would be an absolute treat to see in a future Batman movie opposite of someone like Robert Pattinson.
It’s all a pipe dream though. There are two huge roadblocks in the way of Johnny Depp entering the DCEU, and their names are Warner Bros. and Amber Heard. Warner Bros. owns the DCEU and just replaced Depp in his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. He also has an ongoing, messy lawsuit with ex-wife Amber Heard. Heard is still set to star alongside Jason Mamoa in the next Aquaman, meaning that it’s likely Warner Bros. will avoid casting Depp to avoid further complications should the two ever have to work together in scenes.
Now that Disney owns Marvel, it’s far more likely that we would see Johnny Depp enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Depp may not have been as keen to join while having to share the spotlight with heavyweights like Robert Downey Jr., his exit from the franchise after Avengers: Endgame means the franchise could use another high-level star. It’s also promising that Disney has already had success with Johnny Depp with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise in the past.
Comparing these factors, it makes more sense for Johnny Depp to be cast in the MCU. However, given recent events in his court case with Amber Heard and her requests to Disney for information on any incriminating behavior Depp displayed during the filming of the last Pirates film it’s possible he’s too risky a casting choice at this time. Time will tell if the negative press surrounding Depp will die down enough to make Disney warm up to him again.
It’s still a lot of fun to think about who he could play, especially as Marvel seems keen on bringing forth relatively unknown heroes in the next phases of the MCU like Shang-Chi. Finally, it’s also important to remember that Robert Downey Jr. had his own set of personal struggles prior to the MCU and his role as Iron Man skyrocketed him to mega-stardom. The MCU could be just the second chance that Depp needs right now.
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