The franchise has existed for over 20 years now, and much of its success is owed to the dynamics between its major characters. The complex relationships between Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Jack Sparrow are engaging, and Pirates of the Caribbean scenes fans still love, such as Will and Elizabeth's marriage or Jack's gleeful "I've got a jar of dirt!" are part of what makes the series so memorable.

in On Stranger Tides and even in Dead Men Tell No Tales outside of their cameos at the end, but those films at least had Jack Sparrow. Making a Pirates of the Caribbean film with even less connection to the originals could be risky. What Pirates of the Caribbean would be like without Jack Sparrow remains a mystery, and he's the face of the franchise for a reason. Still, if Johnny Depp can't return as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, it at least needs one of the others to return.

If Jack isn't in the film, and the franchise's original lead characters. The post-credits scene in Pirates of the Caribbean 5 perfectly sets up the opportunity for Will to return for the sixth film. After spending so much time as the captain of the Flying Dutchman, the potential return of Davy Jones could be more personal to Will than to anyone else.

Having one of the original stars return for a plot with such personal stakes could be just what the series needs to survive a potential lack of Jack Sparrow. While Will's presence would add a completely different tone to the film than Jack's would, he would serve as a connection to the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and would give the audience a reason to care about what's happening. While one of the benefits of Jack's presence in the Pirates of the Caribbean films is levity, Will's return could add.

Keira Knightley has said she has no return plans for Pirates of the Caribbean, so . Knightly explained that she was "seen as sh*t because of them," and she doesn't expect that she'll do any franchises on the same level again. The experience of being in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise had both positives and negatives for her, as they helped establish her as a star and remain her most successful films, but the scrutiny she experienced was difficult for her.

As a result, if Will Turner does return, . The last time we saw Elizabeth and Will together, Will was finally freed from the Flying Dutchman. Elizabeth has achieved her happy ending of getting Will back, so Will and Elizabeth's relationship in Pirates of the Caribbean means that even her off-screen presence in his life would have an impact on his character if he returns for Pirates of the Caribbean 6.

Between Knightley's disinterest in returning to the franchise, the mystery surrounding whether Johnny Depp will return as Jack Sparrow, and the death of Captain Barbossa in the previous film,. The post-credits scene in Dead Men Tell No Tales perfectly foreshadows the return of Davy Jones, but the stakes wouldn't have as much impact without the presence of the series' main characters.

The audience has had time to grow attached to these characters and root for them, so even than a true continuation of Pirates of the Caribbean. This doesn't make it impossible for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 to work without its original heroes, but it does make it an uphill battle.

If Pirates of the Caribbean 6 honors its classic characters and handles their absence well, with the right story and the right characters, there is a chance it could succeed without any of the original stars. However, it would be impossible not to compare it with the films that came before. Even if Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is somehow a great film without the presence of Jack, Will, or Elizabeth, their absence would inevitably make it difficult for the film to succeed as a installment.