Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow may not be in POTC 6 has found a replacement star in the form of Margot Robbie. While many POTC fans - myself included - would love to see Jack Sparrow return, it's simply not a guarantee.

If Johnny Depp doesn't end up returning as Jack Sparrow, POTC 6 will immediately be at a disadvantage. Jack is easily the most recognizable character in the franchise, and several people wouldn't even entertain the notion of a Pirates movie without him. It's clear that if POTC 6 doesn't have Jack, it will need some big new change to compensate for his absence. Luckily, there's one easy trick that would provide that change, explain Jack's absence, open the door to new historical pirates, and pave the way for many more Margot Robbie-led Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Pirates 6 Can Explore A Different Era Of Piracy (If Jack Sparrow Is Not In It)

POTC 6 Could Explain Jack Sparrow's Absence By Being A Prequel Set Before His Exploits

If Jack Sparrow doesn't end up appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, the franchise could easily take on a different part of pirate history. POTC takes place chronologically at the end of the "Golden Age of Pirates," in the 1720s. However, the Golden Age of Pirates began in roughly the 1680s (via Royal Museums Greenwich), meaning there are 40 years of real-life history ripe for POTC 6 to adapt. As a prequel, POTC 6 could explore the origins of pirates as hunters who were forced into a life of crime by the Spanish empire, and it could feel completely different from the first five films.

Being set in the 1680s wouldn't just give POTC 6 a fresh, new setting to play with, it would also explain Jack Sparrow's absence. As we know from At World's End's deleted scene, Jack became a pirate after freeing a ship full of enslaved people, so his story is tied to the 1720s and later. If POTC 6 does take place in the 1680s, Jack's absence would be as simple to explain as saying that he just wasn't a pirate yet. That timeframe would also make it easier to introduce Margot Robbie's yet-unnamed character, as POTC 6 could follow her first days as a pirate.

POTC 6 Being Set Earlier Would Also Allow New Historical Pirates To Appear

POTC Could Introduce Famous Pirates From History Like Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan, & Henry Every

Perhaps the best example of how being a prequel could make POTC 6 feel distinct from the rest of the franchise is the historical pirates it could introduce. Several of the most famous pirates in history, like Captain Kidd, Henry Morgan, and Henry Every, also known as the King of Pirates, were active in the 17th century, more than 20 years before the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. All three of those pirates have rich and fascinating stories that POTC 6 could explore, like how Henry Every lived long enough to retire, a rare feat for a pirate.

Henry Morgan has appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean before. In Dead Men Tell No Tales, a flashback to a young Jack Sparrow saw him receive his famous com from the pirate captain as he died. This is something of an inconsistency, however. Henry Morgan died in 1688, which would make Jack at least 75 years old in Dead Men Tell No Tales.

POTC 6's potential legendary pirates aren't even limited to historical figures. If it is a prequel, POTC 6 could easily feature younger versions of mainstays of the franchise. Hector Barbossa was certainly alive at the time, and mythical figures like Tia Dalma and Davey Jones were around long before Jack Sparrow became a pirate. Essentially, POTC 6 could pick the characters and parts of the franchise that worked the best and bring them back while leaving the less effective parts of Pirates of the Caribbean in the past (technically the future).

POTC 6 Being A Prequel Would Help It Avoid The Later Films’ Mistakes

A Prequel Wouldn't Have To Deal With The Complicated Curses & Mythology Of Later POTC Films

There's yet another benefit to making POTC 6 a prequel: it would distance itself from the later, worse POTC films. On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales are widely considered the worst of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. There are a wide variety of reasons for that distinction, but one of them is the overly-complicated supernatural plot points in them. If POTC 6 is a prequel, it won't have to touch any of the supernatural elements of the later films. Instead of trying to explain what happened after the Trident of Poseidon broke all the curses of the sea, POTC 6 could simply start anew.

Avoiding the long list of mythical treasures Jack Sparrow has already searched for would also let POTC 6 serve as a perfect starting point. As a prequel, POTC 6 wouldn't require its audience to have any prior knowledge of the rest of the franchise, which would make it more appealing to a wider range of new viewers. It would also mean it can start a new story from scratch, which could serve as the basis for many more films starring Margot Robbie. Taking place before the rest of the franchise might be the best thing Pirates of the Caribbean 6 could possibly do.