Depp to jump ship on Pirates 4?

Johnny Depp looks set to say 'yo ho...no' to the proposed fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie after news that Disney Chairman Dick Cook has had to stand down/been fired/been made to walk the plank. More forced pirate-related metaphors after the jump.

Since the subtitle and plot outline was announced recently at a Disney Expo, it finally seemed that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides had finally set sail and that all hands were on deck.

However, now that Dick Cook has officially decided to stand down as chairman and subsequently part ways with the mouse house (suddenly, after 38 years - hmm...), Depp has cast doubts on his continuing involvement with the franchise.

Not only did the Disney stalwart persuade him to step into Jack Sparrow's boots in the first place, but Depp also credits Cook with protecting his unique take on the character when all other studio reps were balking at his drunken swagger.

In reaction to Cook's departure, Johnny is shivering Disney's timbers by stating that his involvement will now depend on how good the script for the movie is. That is, a script written by Ted Eliot and Terry Rossio, who wrote the first three films.

By my calculations, that gives Depp's involvement a one-in-three chance.

A Pirates of the Caribbean film without Jack Sparrow might as well be a James Bond flick without 007 himself as far as anyone is concerned so I fully expect Disney will test Depp's loyalty to Cook by flashing a giant treasure chest in his direction.

If it doesn't work, there's always Russell Brand - as long as Disney doesn't mind one of their most popular characters in recent times being portrayed as a rampant sex pest.