'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' release date, news: launches May 2017; rumors of Jack Sparrow replaced debunked

Promotional image for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" Disney

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" encountered trouble during production as lead actor Johnny Depp, who plays Captain Jack Sparrow, went through his divorce with Amber Heard. Because of this, speculations have started spreading that the movie will see Jack Sparrow killed off and replaced.

The Bitbag reports that rumors have spread which suggested that Depp, out of depression and frustration, cut his finger off and may have died due to self-inflicted injuries brought upon by the divorce with Heard. This, of course, is a hoax. It is further stated that Depp may have been causing delays and because of this he has allegedly been replaced.

According to the rumors, his character has been killed off, and now, Orlando Bloom, who plays William Turner Jr., will become the new lead of the franchise. A character named Henry, played by Brenton Thwaites, is rumored to be Will Turner's son and may also become the new lead character.

However, these rumors have no official basis, and the studios have not stated anything about Johnny Depp's performance being affected by the divorce. As a matter of fact, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has posted an image on Twitter showcasing the movie is now in post-production, and everything is still on track.

Singer Alice Cooper, who has toured with Depp recently, explained in an interview with TMZ that Depp never discussed his divorce during their performances. Depp, who plays the guitar for their band the Hollywood Vampires, is also stated to be in perfect health.

As it stands, the movie is still going to launch as scheduled on May 26, 2017. The movie will see Jack Sparrow team up again with Will Turner Jr. as they hunt for the Trident of Poseidon in order to stop the undead Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), who has just recently escaped the Devil's Triangle and aims to destroy every pirate.

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