Karen Gillan may be the new lead for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, according to multiple reports.
Reports surfaced this week that said Gillan may take the lead position in the franchise, replacing Johnny Depp as the face of the franchise.
According to The Disinsider — a news and rumors site dedicated to Disney projects — Disney is looking at Gillan to take the lead role of the new “Pirates of the Caribbean project,” which is being written by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliot.
Rumors suggest the new film would focus on Redd, the female pirate seen in the ride at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Gillan has red hair.
Gillan has previously worked with Disney, appearing as Nebula in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
Gillian starred in Sony’s reboot of the “Jumanji” alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“She’s proven herself in big budget blockbusters already, so giving her the lead role in one makes all the sense in the world,” according to ComicBook.com.
But other actresses are in consideration, too.
In October 2019, Disney tapped former “Pirates of the Caribbean” writer Ted Elliott and “Chernobyl” creator Craig Mazin to put together a reboot for the franchise, as I wrote about for the Deseret News.
The two writers were asked “to propel fresh wind into ‘Pirates,’ one of the largest-hauling film franchises of all time, which introduced hard-luck and hard-drinking pirate Jack Sparrow into Disney fandom and pop culture,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Pirates” originally added “Deadpool” writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick for the project, as reported by the Deseret News. The writers eventually dropped out.
It’s unclear if Johnny Depp will return to the franchise. He has been wrapped up in controversy with his ex-wife Amber Heard.
With Depp at the helm, “Pirates of the Caribbean” grossed more than $4.5 billion in 14 years. The most recent film in the franchise, “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” snagged $794 million at the worldwide box office.