AlthoughPirates Of The Caribbean 6is stuck in Development Hell, the best way for the sequel to reboot thePirates Of The Caribbeanfranchise is by bringing back one pivotal element. There has been a lot of speculation surroundingPirates Of The Caribbean 6’s cast. Some fans believe that the series needs Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow to work, while others say the franchise must let go of the actor and move on.Margot Robbie’sPirates Of The Caribbean 6seemed like a promising change of direction to some, but the canceled project rang alarm bells for others.

How To Watch The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies In Order: Chronologically Or By Release Date

Pirates of the Caribbean is a huge Disney franchise that continues to expand, and here’s the chronological order for the series to date.

Debate rages over which actor could salvage the series and what casting coup could reinvigorate interest in the franchise. However, all of this discussion obfuscates the real concerns underlying the future of the series. While producerJerry Bruckheimer’sPirates Of The Caribbean 6updatesseemed cautiously optimistic, no cast announcement could allay fears that the nextPirates Of The Caribbeanmovie may fall victim to the problems that plagued earlier outings. ThePirates Of The Caribbeanfranchise’s success was not originally predicated on its big budgets or famous A-list stars, but something far simpler and, paradoxically, tougher to get right.

Blended image of several characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise

Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Must Restore The Humor Of The First Three Movies

The Original Trilogy’s Dark Elements Were Offset By Their Comedic Relief

The originalPirates Of The Caribbeantrilogy is funny despite its action and horror elements, and this is what made the series a multi-billion success at the box office.The Curse of the Black Pearlhas one of the most perfectly balanced screenplays in Hollywood history with a plot that never takes itself too seriously but always has tangible stakes and real peril. Its first two sequels, 2006’sDead Man’s Chest and 2007’sAt World’s End, weren’t quite able to recapture this balance. However, they did both maintain a healthy sense of humor alongside their scary scenes.

On Stranger TidesandDead Men Tell No Talesexperimented unsuccessfully with darker tonal territory.

Jack Sparrow screaming while Blackbeard holds a gun in Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides

Amid its moments of darkness, the originalPirates Of The Caribbeantrilogy never forgot to be fun. This was something later sequels lacked, asOn Stranger TidesandDead Men Tell No Talesexperimented unsuccessfully with darker tonal territory.EveryPirates Of The Caribbeansequelhad its problems but, despite centering on their laconic comic relief, Jack, the later movies were the most grim, cynical outings of the series. Both the fourth and fifthPirates Of The Caribbeanmovies mistook spectacle for fun, resulting in elaborate set pieces but few moments of light-hearted humor.

Recent Pirates Of The Caribbean Sequels Lean Too Heavily Into Darker Themes

Pirates of the Caribbean’s Fourth and Fifth Outings Were More Cynical

Perhaps compelled by Jack’s inherent goofiness,On Stranger TidesandDead Men Tell No Talesleaned hard into the franchise’s darker elements.The originalPirates of the Caribbeantrilogy had plenty of tragedy and horror, but this was always offset by its comedic moments. When Elizabeth and Will’s love story ended in heartbreak, Jack was on hand for a witty bon mot. When Jack appeared to die inDead Man’s Chest, supporting characters like Pintel and Raghetti and Murtogg and Mallory were still present to lighten the mood. In contrast, the fourth and fifth movies had a major tonal problem.

SincePirates of the Caribbean’s franchise hero Jack Sparrowwas their central focus,On Stranger TidesandDead Men Tell No Talesneglected their comedic elements. The sequels presumed that Depp’s mugging would keep viewers entertained no matter how dark the story’s countless double crosses became, and this resulted in two problems. Jack became less funny as the series relied on him more, and he became less sympathetic as viewers saw more of him. A character who once worked as a funny trickster had now become a self-centered, unsympathetic protagonist.

Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black Pearl Poster

Striking The Right Balance Is The Key To POTC 6’s Success

Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Needs More Humor and More Darkness

It would be easy to assume thatPirates of the Caribbean 6’s story needs more humor and less darkness after the franchise’s recent failures, but this is only partially true. One of manythings that went wrong withOn Stranger Tideswas the sequel’s lack of stakes, since it was clear that Jack Sparrow would not be killed off anytime soon and none of the other characters were particularly interesting or sympathetic. As a result, despite featuring plenty of death and gags, the fourth movie was never truly scary or funny.

ThePirates of the Caribbeanmovies have grossed over $4 billion at the box office.

As such,Pirates of the Caribbean 6must be both funnier and scarierthan the fourth and fifth outings in the series. The franchise must find its sense of humor again and, ironically, the series was never funnier than when it was at its scariest. The threat featured inThe Curse of the Black Pearlis genuinely unsettling, especially for younger viewers, and this makes the moments of comedy a legitimate relief. To recapture this delicate balance,Pirates of the Caribbean 6needs to find the comedy and horror that animated the originalPirates of the Caribbeanmovie.