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Austin Butler<\/strong><\/a> has played coy when asked about long-standing rumors connecting him to the Pirates of the Caribbean<\/em> franchise but insiders say it\u2019s just a foregone conclusion at this point as he\u2019s in pole position to be anointed as the new Johnny Depp. He\u2019ll make a fortune in the process!<\/p>\n \u201cDisney was looking at two options for bringing back the Pirates<\/em> movies: handing over the franchise to Margot Robbie<\/strong> and hope the Barbie lightning strikes twice with a one-off female-skewing story, or bringing back Johnny Depp<\/strong> for a sixth go at Jack Sparrow, which would be expensive and risky,\u201d a studio insider exclusively explains to Life & Style<\/em>. \u201cConsidering Johnny\u2019s age and polarizing reputation, making that version would play like a franchise finale, even though Johnny still has his supporters inside the franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAustin Butler and his team\u2019s interest in the franchise has come at exactly the right time, and it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean curtains for Margot\u2019s take or even a return appearance by Johnny,\u201d the source adds. \u201cThe appeal of somebody like Austin is that he can completely transform into a character, and the potential is there to create something as unforgettable as Johnny\u2019s work on the first film 21 years ago. Plus, he\u2019s proven himself with accents, action and even weird comedy.\u201d<\/p>\n Austin, 32, earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann<\/strong>\u2019s 2022 biographical drama Elvis<\/em>. Since then, his career has been red hot, with roles in The Bikeriders<\/em> and Dune: Part Two<\/em>. Could Pirates<\/em> be the next notch on his already impressive list of achievements<\/a>?<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s still no script, and Austin doesn\u2019t sign up for a movie without seeing what the story is going to be, but unlike Margot and Johnny, you can easily imagine making three movies with Austin because he\u2019s young, fit and isn\u2019t heavily tied to another franchise at a rival studio the way Margot is,\u201d the insider says. \u201cThey just need to get the script right, and there\u2019s no reason Margot and Johnny can\u2019t be invited to the party and make some surprise appearances or cameos, schedules permitting.\u201d<\/p>\n While responding to casting rumors last month, Austin revealed he has long been a fan of the Pirates<\/em> franchise.<\/p>\n