Johnny Depp might set sail once more as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean saga. The 61 year old Hollywood icon, who was axed by Disney following allegations of spousal abuse by his ex-wife Amber Heard in 2018—a claim from which he was later exonerated in court—is reportedly being considered for a return to the blockbuster franchise, according to Variety.

The entertainment giant has yet to extend an olive branch to the Edward Scissorhands legend, but they’ve tasked Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer with crafting two potential storylines—one with Depp and one without—pending a possible reconciliation. A source revealed to the publication, “Nothing has been ruled out.”

This news comes on the heels of Depp’s victory over Heard in a highly publicized defamation trial in 2022.

Depp’s portrayal of the eccentric pirate began with 2003’s hit Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and continued through four sequels, including Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End in 2006 and 2007, as well as On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2011 and 2017, alongside co-stars Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. .

Depp was initially set to star in a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film but was dropped in December 2018, just days after Heard’s Washington Post op-ed implied she was a victim of domestic violence, without explicitly naming Depp. Following Depp’s departure, Disney production chief Sean Bailey expressed a desire to bring “new energy and vitality” to the franchise, tasking writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese to revamp the series.

Bailey told The Hollywood Reporter, “I love the movies, but part of the reason Paul and Rhett are so interesting is that we want to give it a kick in the pants. And that’s what I’ve tasked them with.”

With Depp no longer involved, Margot Robbie became attached to a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot, as confirmed by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who noted that the reboot would be easier to assemble without waiting for specific actors. Meanwhile, Depp’s former co-star Keira Knightley has stated she will no longer participate in franchise films.

The actress, famed for her portrayal of Elizabeth Swann in the series, has spoken out about the negative impact the films had on her professional trajectory. Speaking with The Times, she reflected: “It’s a funny thing when you have something that was making and breaking you at the same time. I was seen as s*** because of them, and yet because they did so well I was given the opportunity to do the films that I ended up getting Oscar nominations for.”

She concluded with a bittersweet sentiment, “They were the most successful films I’ll ever be a part of, and they were the reason that I was taken down publicly. So they’re a very confused place in my head.”