Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales centers on the rivalry between Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his newest nemesis, Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem)—who, take note, apparently pronounces the Z in his name with a proper Spanish th sound. (From the look of the guy, I wouldn’t try to tell him it’s a “lisp.”) Set for a May 2017 release, it’s the franchise’s first film in six years—the longest gap between installments to date, which may lead either to increased anticipation or a collective shrug.
But Depp—whose iconic portrayal of Sparrow remains, after several mediocre sequels, far and away the top reason to stick with the series—is nowhere to be seen in the first trailer for Dead Men. Instead, the trailer builds up to the introduction of Salazar, who—lest you forget, friendo—aims to be only the latest in a string of memorable, scenery-chewing villains from the Skyfall and No Country for Old Men actor. As for Depp’s absence, well, there’s more than one reason to speculate that Disney might not be so eager as usual to put him front and center in the marketing campaign.
