Let's be honest. By the time the fifth installment of the Pirates franchise sailed into theaters in 2017, the seafaring hype felt a bit weathered. It had been six years since we saw Jack Sparrow dodging palm trees in On Stranger Tides. Everyone was asking the same thing: could the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast actually recapture that lightning-in-a-bottle energy from the original trilogy?
It wasn't just about Johnny Depp anymore.
To make Dead Men Tell No Tales (or Salazar’s Revenge, depending on where you live) work, Disney had to play a weird game of musical chairs. They needed the nostalgia of the old guard but the fresh blood of a new generation. It’s a tricky balance. You’ve got to satisfy the die-hard fans who want to see the Flying Dutchman again while somehow convincing teenagers that a movie based on a 1960s theme park ride is still "cool."
The Return of the Captain (and the Legal Noise)
Johnny Depp returned as Captain Jack Sparrow, obviously. But this wasn't the untouchable, witty Jack of 2003. By 2017, Depp was embroiled in massive personal and legal headlines that arguably overshadowed the film’s production in Australia. On screen, Sparrow felt different too—more drunk, more down-on-his-luck, and arguably less "in control" of the chaos than he used to be. Some critics called it a caricature; others saw it as a natural progression of a pirate who had finally run out of luck.
Then there’s Geoffrey Rush.
As Hector Barbossa, Rush has always been the secret sauce of these movies. In the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast, Barbossa undergoes a massive shift. He’s no longer the gritty, apple-chomping mutineer. He’s a pirate king with a literal golden fleet. Honestly, his arc in this movie is probably the only one with real emotional weight, especially when you get to that final act twist involving Carina Smyth.
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Rush played it with a certain flamboyant exhaustion that worked perfectly.
Javier Bardem and the Ghost Problem
Javier Bardem joined the crew as Captain Armando Salazar. Now, Bardem is an Oscar winner. He’s terrifying. Remember No Country for Old Men? He brought that same quiet, simmering intensity to a character who was basically a walking CGI ink-blot.
Salazar was a Spanish pirate hunter who got trapped in the Devil's Triangle. Bardem's performance was physically demanding, even if half of it was replaced by digital "ghost hair" that floated as if he were underwater. He actually based some of his movements on a wounded bull, which adds a layer of aggression you might have missed on the first watch.
The chemistry between Bardem and the rest of the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast was a highlight, mostly because he seemed to be the only person truly taking the stakes seriously.
The New Blood: Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario
Disney tried to recreate the Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann dynamic. They really did.
Brenton Thwaites stepped in as Henry Turner. Yes, the son of Will and Elizabeth. It’s a classic legacy play. Thwaites is a solid actor, but he had the impossible task of filling Orlando Bloom’s boots. His goal? Break his father’s curse. It’s a noble pursuit, but Henry often felt like he was just there to move the plot from point A to point B.
On the other hand, Kaya Scodelario was a revelation as Carina Smyth.
In a franchise filled with magic and curses, she played a woman of science. She’s an astronomer. A horologist. Back in the 1700s, that just got you labeled as a witch. Scodelario brought a sharpness to the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast that was desperately needed. She wasn't a damsel. She was usually the smartest person on the ship, even if the pirates around her didn't know what a "chronometer" was.
Her backstory provides the emotional pivot for the entire film, linking her directly to Barbossa in a way that felt surprisingly earned for a late-stage sequel.
Cameos You Might Have Forgotten
Did you remember Paul McCartney was in this?
Following in the footsteps of Keith Richards (who played Jack’s dad, Captain Teague), McCartney showed up as Uncle Jack. It’s a tiny, weird, wonderful scene in a prison cell. He’s even singing a traditional shanty, "Maggie Mae." It’s these little texture pieces that make the Pirates world feel lived-in, even when the plot gets a bit bloated.
And of course, we have to talk about the cameos from the original duo.
- Orlando Bloom: He appears at the beginning and end as Will Turner, looking quite "barnacle-y" as the Captain of the Flying Dutchman.
- Keira Knightley: She shows up in a wordless cameo at the very end.
Seeing them back together was a massive marketing hook, even if their actual screen time was less than five minutes combined. It functioned more as a "passing of the torch" to the younger actors, though many fans argued the movie could have used more of the OG pair.
The Supporting Scallywags
Kevin McNally returned as Joshamee Gibbs. He is the glue. Without Gibbs, is it even a Pirates movie? McNally provides that grounding presence that reminds us why we liked these movies in the first place.
We also saw the return of:
- Martin Klebba as Marty (the diminutive pirate with the big cannon).
- Stephen Graham as Scrum (reprising his role from the fourth film).
- Giles New and Angus Barnett as Murtogg and Mullroy (the bumbling soldiers-turned-pirates).
These actors provide the "vibe." They are the background noise of the Caribbean, the guys who are always complaining about the lack of rum or the presence of ghosts. Their inclusion in the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast kept the film's DNA consistent with the Gore Verbinski era.
Why the Casting Matters for the Future
The production of Dead Men Tell No Tales was famously troubled. There were scripts that got scrapped, a monkey that supposedly bit a makeup artist, and Johnny Depp’s well-documented injury that shut down filming for weeks.
Despite the chaos, the movie earned nearly $800 million.
The casting choices here were a bridge. By introducing Henry and Carina, Disney was clearly testing the waters for a franchise without Jack Sparrow. The post-credits scene—featuring a shadowy, clawed figure that looks suspiciously like Davy Jones—teased a sixth film that would bring the focus back to the Turner family.
But with the legal battles and the shifting landscape of Hollywood, the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 cast members remains a huge question mark. Will we see Thwaites and Scodelario again? Or will the franchise undergo a total reboot with Margot Robbie, as has been rumored for years?
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of the fifth film, don't just stop at the theatrical cut. The behind-the-scenes material offers a lot of context on how these actors handled the grueling shoot in Queensland.
- Check the Deleted Scenes: There are specific sequences involving the "Bank of Saint Martin" that give more depth to Carina’s character.
- Look for the "Salazar’s Revenge" Cut: If you can find the international versions, some of the editing feels slightly tighter than the US release.
- Follow the "Young Jack" Tech: The film used de-aging technology for a flashback scene. This was an early version of the tech Disney would later use in The Mandalorian and Indiana Jones 5.
To truly understand the legacy of this cast, watch the 2003 original and the 2017 sequel back-to-back. You’ll see the evolution of Depp’s performance and how the newcomers tried to find their footing in a world that was already legendary. Whether you love the fifth film or think it should have stayed at the bottom of the ocean, the effort of the actors involved is undeniable.