Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Javier Bardem Could Be Jack Sparrow’s Next Antagonist in the Disney Film Franchise

By Kara Michelle Oct 19, 2014 01:27 AM EDT

Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Javier Bardem Could Be Jack Sparrow's Next Antagonist in the Disney Film Franchise

Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem is now in talks with studio bosses to play the central antagonist in Disney's next Pirates of the Caribbean movie according to the Hollywood Reporter. If the deal pushes through, his role could be that of a ghost captain who is on a revenge mission against Jack Sparrow whom he blames for the death of his brother. Bardem's real-life wife, Penelope Cruz, starred in the last Pirates of the Caribbean film (On Stranger Tides) as Angelica, Jack's former love interest whom he left stranded on an island.

Pirates of the Caribbean 5, the next installment in the fantasy adventure film franchise series inspired by a Walt Disney theme park ride, opens in theaters on July 7, 2017. Originally set for a July 2015 showing, the release date had to be moved back to accommodate script rewrites. The Pirates of the Caribbean 5 full movie has been officially titled Dead Men Tell No Tales and it will be directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg based on a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson along with Stuart Beatie, Ted Elliot, Terry Rosio and Jay Wolpert. Franchise star Johnny Depp was also asked by Disney and executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer to collaborate with Nathanson on the script development.

Aside from Depp, the only other confirmed member of the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast is Geoffrey Rush who will continue to reprise his role as Captain Barbossa. However, it is rumored that Orlando Bloom will also be back to reprise his role as Will Turner, the Flying Dutchman's immortal captain. Other rumored Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast include Keira Knightly, Christoph Waltz, Mackenzie Crook, Lee Arenberg, Martin Klebba, and Keith Richards. The film's casting is expected to be finalized within the next month or two. Filming is also expected to begin early next year in Queensland, Australia. There is no Pirates of the Caribbean 5 official trailer yet.