In an era in which Star Wars, the MCU, and the Fast and Furious films have all been making waves in the world of movie franchises, Pirates of the Caribbean has also done exceptionally well for itself. What started off as a movie based on a Disneyland ride soon blossomed into a monstrosity of a business that people could not get enough of.
One of the biggest reasons why the movies were such a massive success is the perfect casting for each primary role. Casting Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow was gold, but in the beginning, things were looking a lot different.
So, which other actors were in contention for Jack Sparrow? Let’s take a look and see!
Matthew McConaughey Was In Consideration
It might be impossible to imagine anyone other than Johnny Depp playing Captain Jack Sparrow, given his iconic performance in the film Curse of the Black Pearl, but in the very beginning, Disney was interested in having Matthew McConaughey in the role.
During the time of casting, Matthew McConaughey had proven himself to be a successful actor on the big screen, and he had the comedic chops to steal the show in any film that he appeared in.
It has been reported that Disney was primarily interested in casting him due to his resemblance to actor Burt Lancaster, which they felt would have suited the character perfectly.
To give credit where credit is due, it is very possible that Matthew McConaughey could have thrived in the role of Captain Jack Sparrow. Sure, during this era, he was primarily known as someone who was considered more of a face than an actual acting talent, but as we have seen over the years, Matthew McConaughey is someone who is capable of putting on an exceptional performance.
Because of how monumentally successful the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise would become, it does make sense that landing the role of Captain Jack Sparrow would have been a complete and total game changer for Matthew McConaughey during that time.
Thankfully for McConaughey, he would go on to have a ton of success in the entertainment industry, solidifying himself as a true movie star in the process.
While Matthew McConaughey was considered for the role of Jack Sparrow early on, there were several other actors that Disney was interested in, as well.
Disney Was Interested In Christopher Walker And Jim Carrey
It’s already hard enough to picture Matthew McConaughey swashbuckling on the high seas as Captain Jack Sparrow, but if Disney had it their way either Christopher Walken or Jim Carrey would have been the ones captaining the Black Pearl.
According to Yahoo, during the early stages, Disney was considering doing a direct-to-video version of Pirates of the Caribbean, which would have changed things significantly. The Curse of the Black Pearl wound up being a monumental success at the box office, officially starting what would become a successful franchise. A direct-to-video release would have done very little in inspiring a franchise.
While the direct-to-video option was still in consideration, Disney was interested in working with Christopher Walken, who would have brought a drastically different take to the character. Walken and Johnny Depp have a little in common in terms of their delivery, so we can only imagine what this film would have looked like.
Eventually, Jim Carrey would also be considered for the role, but according to Yahoo, he was unable to take part in the film because of his schedule and how it would have conflicted with filming the hit comedy Bruce Almighty.
Despite having a number of different names in mind, Disney would eventually find the perfect person to play Jack Sparrow.
Johnny Depp Lands The Role
Disney definitely did their due diligence while hunting down the perfect person who could play a lovable pirate, and Johnny Depp’s Keith Richard-inspired performance wound up being a thing of beauty.
For his initial performance in the franchise, Johnny Depp would be nominated for an Academy Award, according to IMDb, and this was instrumental in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise becoming one of the biggest franchises in movie history.
Depp was the face of the franchise for years, and there is hope that Disney will put this franchise to bed for some time. It’s been a fun ride, but it’s probably best to stop for a while.
Johnny Depp was already a successful star before landing the role of Jack Sparrow, but this really took things to another level for the actor. Despite all of the men in consideration, we have to wonder how they feel about missing out on the chance to play Jack Sparrow.