Did Orlando Bloom reject Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides? ( Photo Credit – Facebook )
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Despite the franchise making bank and topping $1 billion, Orlando Bloom wasn’t feeling On Stranger Tides. Instead, he wanted to chase different adventures. “I just really wanted to do different things,” Bloom explained to MTV News in 2010. “But I think it’s going to be great.” Classic Orlando, right?
Now, before you start assuming drama, it wasn’t anything juicy behind the scenes. Bloom wasn’t fighting with Johnny Depp or hashing out contract drama. Nope. He just felt like Will Turner had sailed his course. “I had a great time making those movies,” he added, casually mentioning that Will was probably “swimming around with the fish at the bottom of the ocean.” If that’s not a pirate-level exit line, I don’t know what is.
The Pirates franchise had already hit it big by the time On Stranger Tides came along. With Depp’s Jack Sparrow still leading the charge, the movie felt pretty different without Will and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) in the mix. Their absence left fans wondering if the magic was fading or if they’d been left high and dry. But Bloom, ever the chill guy, wasn’t feeling FOMO. He knew his character had hit a high point by the time At World’s End wrapped up, with Will taking over the cursed Flying Dutchman.
Fast forward to 2017 and—surprise!—Will Turner’s back in Dead Men Tell No Tales. But, let’s be real, his return was more about bringing back the Pirates nostalgia than anything else. Was Bloom excited to jump back into his old boots? Sure. But he wasn’t exactly breaking new ground. He did shout out Depp though, saying, “Johnny’s doing what he does best,” because, of course, Jack Sparrow is forever iconic.
Looking back, Orlando’s gut feeling about On Stranger Tides was probably spot on. The movie tried to mix things up with new romances and mermaids (uh, sure), but the Will and Elizabeth dynamic was sorely missed. The Pirates saga, in all honesty, should’ve docked at At World’s End. Everything after felt like the franchise was trying too hard to recapture that original spark.
So, will Orlando return for Pirates 6? Who knows. But if Johnny’s out as Jack Sparrow, maybe it’s time to let Will Turner captain the ship once more. Or maybe he’ll just keep swimming with the fish. Either way, Orlando Bloom’s exit from Pirates proved that sometimes, even billion-dollar blockbusters can’t lure you back if the story’s already been told.
