MANILA, Philippines — Shortly after the verdict for the heavily publicized Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial was dealt, mostly favoring the former, Depp's iconic character Jack Sparrow became a trending topic on Twitter as social media users called for his reinstatement to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise.
One particular user called out Disney for firing Depp from the franchise despite him being the face of the films and carried them through diminishing criticisms and box office returns.
Dear Disney, you done fucked up. You fired Johnny Depp from Pirates despite Captain Jack Sparrow carrying the whole ass franchise, he was literally the only reason I bothered to watch 4 and 5. I will not watch 6 if he isn't in it, period.#JusticeForJohnnyDepp #TruthWins
— ????????????????????????? starwarsjoshsmith ????????????????????????? (@SWJS2) June 1, 2022
"He was literally the only reason I bothered to watch [Pirates] 4 and 5. I will not watch 6 if he isn't in it, period."
"I'm not watching any Disney 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies without Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow," said another user.
On a lighter note, some netizens asked that Disney issue a public apology to Depp and streamline the process of returning him to the franchise, while others added that the company should also apologize to fans for the loss of a fan favorite.
Disney owes Johnny Depp a public apology for engaging in cancel culture and making a premature decision to remove him from Pirates before Justice was done.#JusticeForJohnnyDepp
— MatthewSantoro (@MatthewSantoro) June 1, 2022
Numerous users quipped saying "remember this day as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow," a nod to one of Depp's lines in the movies; some other netizens directly named Heard as the one "who almost caught" Sparrow.
Amber Heard will always remember this as the day she almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow.
— Carter Andrews (@cartertheepic) June 1, 2022
Amber Heard will remember this as the day she ALMOST caught Captain Jack Sparrow
— ???? Skylight ? || Elf Vtuber | Hiatus (@Skylightvt) June 1, 2022
Congrats on Johnny Depp, he did it
THIS WILL BE THE DAY YOU ALMOST CAUGHT CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW
— Marc (@Caedrel) June 1, 2022
JOHNNY WONNNNNNNN ????#Deppvsheard
The seven-member jury awarded Depp $15 million (P787.4 million) in damages after finding that a 2018 article penned by Heard on her experience of "sexual violence" was defamatory to the actor and ex-husband Depp, who was following the proceedings from the United Kingdom, later posted on Instagram that the jury "gave me my life back."
RELATED: Johnny Depp wins out in bitter Amber Heard defamation trial