Geoffrey Rush is willing to play Captain Hector Barbossa again, but he does not want another Pirates of the Caribbean movie to casually reverse the character’s second death.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly at the Toronto International Film Festival, Rush said any return would need to respect the sacrifice Barbossa made in Dead Men Tell No Tales. “I don’t want it to be too cheesy and too easy that I come back,” he said.
Rush still sees a supernatural route back into the franchise. He suggested appearing as a ghost, drawing inspiration from Hamlet’s father, which would allow Barbossa to interact with Jack Sparrow without pretending his death never happened.
The comments arrive as another Pirates movie remains in development. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said in August that a screenplay is being written and conversations are underway with Johnny Depp about a possible return as Sparrow, although no cast has been formally announced.
Rush Wants Barbossa’s Sacrifice to Remain Meaningful
Barbossa’s final scene in Dead Men Tell No Tales revealed the emotional endpoint of a character who began the franchise as one of its principal villains. After discovering that Carina Smyth was his daughter, he sacrificed himself to save her during the climactic confrontation with Captain Salazar.
Rush said that ending makes another conventional resurrection difficult to justify. “I sacrificed myself for my daughter,” he told EW. “I don’t want it to be too cheesy and too easy that I come back and go, ‘Give me another payday.’”
He also described the franchise as having developed an operatic scale during its long run and said a return would need writing strong enough to preserve that history. Rush did not rule out Barbossa entirely, but he rejected the idea of bringing him back simply because the character remains popular.
A ghost appearance would preserve the events of the fifth movie while restoring the combative relationship between Barbossa and Sparrow. Rush said he could imagine returning simply to “annoy Jack Sparrow for one more go” and even suggested asking fans what they would want from the character.
Rush Has Been Considering a Ghost Return Since 2017
The Hamlet comparison predates Rush’s new TIFF interview. Shortly after Dead Men Tell No Tales was released in 2017, he floated the same basic idea, saying he would consider returning as a ghost like Hamlet’s father and bothering Sparrow with advice from the other side.
Barbossa had already returned from death once by that point. Jack shot him at the end of 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl moments after the Aztec curse protecting Barbossa and his crew was broken, apparently ending the character after one film.
The final scene of Dead Man’s Chest revealed that Tia Dalma had restored Barbossa to life. Rush then returned throughout At World’s End, On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales, eventually moving the character from enemy to uneasy ally of Sparrow.
His second death carried considerably more emotional weight because it completed the story involving Carina. Rush’s continued preference for a ghost appearance would allow that ending to stand while giving Barbossa another place in the supernatural rules the franchise has used from its first movie.
Another ‘Pirates’ Movie Still Has Major Casting Questions
Jerry Bruckheimer reveals conversations have been had with Johnny Depp about returning as Captain Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’ | #D23 pic.twitter.com/52iJn7apD1
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) August 16, 2026
Bruckheimer provided the clearest recent update at Disney’s D23 event in August. “We’re talking to Johnny. We’re working on a screenplay. Hopefully we can get this done,” he told Deadline.
Those conversations do not amount to a casting deal, and Disney has not announced Depp’s return. Deadline also reported that the developing movie is expected to move the franchise toward a new protagonist while potentially using Sparrow in a supporting capacity.
Orlando Bloom has separately made clear that he would consider returning as Will Turner. During his own TIFF appearance, he told Entertainment Weekly that he still speaks with Depp occasionally and regularly asks when another Pirates movie might happen.
Bloom has previously argued that a reunion would be strongest with the original group back together. Rush is now another major cast member publicly leaving that possibility open, provided Barbossa returns in a way that does not erase the ending he received in 2017.