Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise includes a variety of interesting characters who could potentially carry their own spinoff series. Pirates of the Caribbean has always focused on the adventures of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, who serves the franchise well as a reliable inciting incident and mascot. Numerous other A-listers have portrayed the ruthless pirates who become Jack’s allies and enemies, some of whom with backstories that are still shrouded in mystery. Disney has yet to try its hand at a Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired TV show, but it would not be surprising if this happened in the future.

If Jack Sparrow’s character has been exhausted, then the logical next step for the franchise would be to focus on a new or old supporting character — there are arguments that Margot Robbie’s spinoff is a better idea than Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Some of the best Pirates of the Caribbean characters never got their due when external circumstances resulted in them only appearing in one movie. A Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff movie or TV series could be how Disney properly delves into character arcs that were left unfinished or shows more of people’s favorite characters.

10

Hector Barbossa

From All Five Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies

Jack’s former first mate Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is actually a much better captain and pirate than Jack, as when he is left to his own devices outside the movies’ plots, he seems to have a lot of success plundering treasure. There are several points in the Pirates of the Caribbean timeline where the story could show more of Barbossa: in between sequel movies; after he has led a mutiny against Jack and is captain of the Black Pearl; or before he even meets Jack, showing how he became a pirate.

At some point, Barbossa meets and has an affair with Margaret Smyth (likely sometime shortly after At World’s End), who could be an interesting supporting pirate character. On the other hand, a story focusing on a younger Barbossa before joining the Black Pearl’s crew presents the challenge of recasting the character. However, it could be an interesting exploration of Barbossa becoming a skilled strategist and swordsman, while Rush himself could still cameo.

9

Anamaria

From Curse Of The Black Pearl

Zoe Saldaña’s Anamaria didn’t return after Curse of the Black Pearl due to Saldaña having a difficult filming experience, where she was undervalued by an elitist behind-the-scenes environment. It is one of the biggest instances of wasted potential for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, as Anamaria is a great character who works as a strong foil to several other characters. However, recent speculation suggests that Saldaña’s Pirates of the Caribbean return is now possible, which could be exactly what the franchise needs.

Anamaria’s story could pick up at almost any time; she doesn’t need to interact with any of the main characters from Pirates of the Caribbean and could be having a completely separate adventure. It might be interesting for her to run into historical pirates such as Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who have yet to appear in this franchise. The story could be set years after Curse of the Black Pearl to account for the lead actress’ age difference; they could also just ignore the slight continuity issue here or recast Anamaria for an origin story series.

8

Will Turner

From Curse Of The Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, & Dead Men Tell No Tales

Will (Orlando Bloom) is one of the main characters in Pirates of the Caribbean and therefore has already gotten a lot of attention in the narrative. However, there are still some parts of his life that could be further explored. Will was raised by his mother in England but left for the Caribbean on his own while he was still a child. His youth and backstory could be set against a flash-forward storyline when he is captain of the Flying Dutchman.

The premise of following the exploits of the Flying Dutchman in between At World’s End and Dead Men Tell No Tales has some potential, showcasing the setting’s afterlife from the perspective of someone who has the power to come and go. However, it runs the risk of getting repetitive after a while. This is why breaking it up with flashbacks could work, allowing the story to cover a lot of ground in Pirates of the Caribbean, potentially resulting in an intriguing blend of Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man’s Chest‘s respective tones.

7

Carina Smyth

From Dead Men Tell No Tales

Carina’s (Kaya Scodelario) entire character implies years of adventures and exploits before the events of Dead Men Tell No Tales. It seems as though she has spent her entire childhood getting her hands on every book she can and educating herself in astronomy and navigation, likely to the chagrin of the people who raised her. By the time she is an adult, she has earned a reputation for going around trying to acquire new equipment and correcting everyone.

Despite her tendency to end up in one dangerous situation after another, Carina comes across as one of the most practical characters in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: She has a clear goal and uses logical methods to accomplish it. Additionally, they could just pick up where they left off with Carina. At the end of Dead Men Tell No Tales, she has discovered her father’s identity and accomplished her lifelong mission — she is now a blank slate, with a trove of knowledge she can use in any new adventure.

6

Bootstrap Bill Turner

From Dead Man’s Chest & At World’s End

Little is said about Bootstrap Bill’s (Stellan Skarsgård) past in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but he oddly commands a lot of respect among the main characters despite having made some bad decisions. Despite Bootstrap having participated in the mutiny against Jack, Jack speaks well of him in Curse of the Black Pearl and is even initially pleased (if confused) to see him in Dead Man’s Chest. Bootstrap’s reasons for leaving Will and his mother are hand-waved, but Will is still fiercely loyal to his father.

Delving into Bootstrap’s backstory and why he did all these things could be a compelling character study, exploring complex ideals of loyalty and self-preservation. Additionally, Bootstrap could serve as a decent protagonist while having numerous run-ins with other characters, setting up a lot of cameos. At one point or another, Bootstrap is part of the same crew as Jack, Barbossa, and Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) — he makes many friends and enemies in his time.

5

Davy Jones

From Dead Man’s Chest & At World’s End

Davy Jones is one of the best villains in Pirates of the Caribbean, due to both a huge technological accomplishment and a tonally alluring backstory. Davy Jones is simply fascinating in terms of aesthetics, given the award-winning effects that went into his character design and his villain origin story stemming from heartbreak. He is both cruel and melancholic, which also makes him a strong character study. A series following Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman could also blend different timelines with flashbacks.

This series could also serve as a way to tell Tia Dalma/Calypso’s (Naomie Harris) individual story. She and Davy Jones meet and fall in love, yet she curses him to be responsible for ferrying souls who died at sea and subsequently abandons him. There are some holes in their backstory and questions about what exactly they feel for each other, which could make for a solid spinoff full of dazzling effects.

4

Joshamee Gibbs

From All Five Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies

Jack’s long-suffering first mate Mr. Gibbs (Kevin McNally) is the supporting character in everyone else’s story but gets little attention on his own. In this way, he could be used as a vehicle to show more of Tortuga and the setting of the Golden Age of Piracy beyond the movies’ loose interpretation of history. However, by virtue of being the longest-standing supporting Pirates of the Caribbean character, Gibbs has also seen and done more than almost everyone, and has many crazy stories to tell to people in Tortuga.

Gibbs seems to enjoy telling spooky stories and potentially joined some other crews while Jack was adrift and without a ship. Gibbs is a sailor on a British vessel at the beginning of Curse of the Black Pearl, but presumably left for piracy at some point in the intervening eight years. While there is a personal arc to follow concerning his character, he can also be effectively used to tell many more stories about the broader world.

3

Elizabeth Swann

From Curse Of The Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, & Dead Men Tell No Tales

Within a matter of days or weeks, Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) succeeded Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) as captain and pirate lord, was named the Pirate King of the Brethren Court, and then supposedly left this all behind to wait for Will to return from 10 years at sea. It has been pointed out that her character deserves better than to be retired from the action just because she is married. People have suggested that Elizabeth might have continued to be a pirate captain during those years.

She soon gives birth to a son, and plausibly wants to stay out of danger for his sake, but would not have known this was happening immediately. However, there is still some leeway for the stories that could be told about Elizabeth in this time span. Presumably, the threat of being hunted down by British soldiers for piracy did not disappear immediately. Elizabeth eventually returns to Jamaica (where she grew up) and starts operating the lighthouse there.

2

Redd, “The Redhead”

From Pirates Of The Caribbean At Disneyland

The most distinctive character from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, prior to Jack, Barbossa, and Davy Jones being incorporated, is the famous redhead, who has been simply named “Redd.” The updates to the ride in recent years have turned Red into a gun-toting pirate herself, with major main character energy. However, even before she was one of the people running the auction scene, Redd was still a bold and iconic figure.

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies have loosely adapted the auction scene, with a short film following Giselle (Vanessa Branch) and redheaded Scarlett (Lauren Maher). However, this is such a minor addition to the story that it could be ignored, especially since a spinoff following Redd probably wouldn’t adapt the bride auction scene in its original form. Redd could be a fun protagonist with lots of flair who lives up to Jack Sparrow’s antics in her own series, setting out on a new round of adventures.

1

Angelica Teach

From On Stranger Tides

Penélope Cruz’s Angelica Teach is a terrifying pirate who is an incredibly skilled fighter and decent leader. As Blackbeard’s (Ian McShane) first mate, she commands the ship mostly through fear; however, she is doubtlessly capable of running her own ship and crew. She is also a fascinating legacy character, as she is the daughter of one of the most feared pirates in history. However, Angelica might be forced to reckon with the darker parts of this legacy, as her father was willing to let her die to save himself.

Angelica’s story is left unfinished by Pirates of the Caribbean. She might want revenge on Jack for her father’s death, but it would be more interesting if she never finds Jack again and is forced to come to terms with these events on her own. In the meantime, Angelica could become a successful pirate captain, leading her own crew into any number of supernatural adventures. She is another character who is sadly underused by the franchise, making her potential for a spinoff boundless.

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

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  The Curse of the Black Pearl is the film that kickstarted the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a series of supernatural swashbuckling adventures. In 1720, blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate “Captain” Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor’s daughter Elizabeth Swann, from Jack’s former pirate allies, who are now undead.

  Director

  Gore Verbinski

  Release Date

  
  July 9, 2003
  

  Writers

  Ted Elliott
  , Terry Rossio
  , Stuart Beattie
  , Jay Wolpert

  Cast

  Johnny Depp
  , Geoffrey Rush
  , Orlando Bloom
  , Keira Knightley
  , Jack Davenport
  , Jonathan Pryce

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the second installment in the swashbuckling franchise directed by Gore Verbinski. Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow, who must settle a blood debt with the legendary Davy Jones, portrayed by Bill Nighy. As Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are drawn into Jack’s perilous quest, they face new dangers on the high seas and encounter the fearsome Kraken.

  Director

  Gore Verbinski

  Release Date

  
  July 6, 2006
  

  Writers

  Ted Elliott
  , Terry Rossio
  , Stuart Beattie
  , Jay Wolpert

  Cast

  Johnny Depp
  , Orlando Bloom
  , Keira Knightley
  , Jack Davenport
  , Bill Nighy
  , Jonathan Pryce

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is the third film in the blockbuster series directed by Gore Verbinski. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is trapped in Davy Jones’ Locker, prompting Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to rescue him. As they battle the East India Trading Company, led by Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), they must unite the pirate lords to fight against an impending extinction of piracy.

  Director

  Gore Verbinski

  Release Date

  
  May 19, 2007
  

  Writers

  Ted Elliott
  , Terry Rossio
  , Stuart Beattie
  , Jay Wolpert

  Cast

  Johnny Depp
  , Geoffrey Rush
  , Orlando Bloom
  , Keira Knightley
  , Jack Davenport
  , Bill Nighy

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. When Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself on the hunt for the fabled Fountain of Youth, he runs afoul of his old rival Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and the feared pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Accompanied by the mysterious Angelica (Penelope Cruz), Sparrow races his competition to the fountain in the hopes of claiming the Fountain for himself.

  Director

  Rob Marshall

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2011
  

  Writers

  Rob Marshall

  Cast

  Johnny Depp
  , Penelope Cruz
  , Geoffrey Rush
  , Sam Claflin
  , Ian McShane
  , Kevin R. McNally

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  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

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  The fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Dead Men Tell No Tales follows young Henry Turner as he enlists Captain Jack Sparrow to release his father, Will Turner, from the curse binding him to the Flying Dutchman. Their quest puts them in the path of ghostly pirate-hunter Captain Salazar, with whom Sparrow has a storied past. To save his old friend, Sparrow must confront his own past to reunite Will with his long-lost son.

  Director

  Joachim Rønning

  Release Date

  
  May 26, 2017
  

  Writers

  Joachim Rønning
  , Johnny Depp

  Cast

  Johnny Depp
  , Geoffrey Rush
  , Orlando Bloom