Johnny Depp has had a massive year, even becoming the most googled actor of 2022, but not for the reasons one would necessarily want to. Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard were embroiled in a nearly two-month defamation trial that ended with a verdict greatly in favor of Depp. Even so, allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault loom after the case, and the question remains regarding the degree to which Hollywood will embrace Depp moving forward. One industry insider does not believe the actor will be completely “redeemed” following all the public commotion.
Back in 2020, Johnny Depp lost his role in the Fantastic Beasts movies after losing a previous defamation lawsuit regarding The Sun referring to him as a “wife beater.” Now that Depp found victory in the latest trial, he’s since appeared at the 2022’s MTV VMAs, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty show, and is set to star as King Louis XV in French film La Favorite. Is he making a comeback? A “knowledgeable film-industry player” told New York Post this regarding the future of Depp’s career:
I think he will have a career but I don’t see him being redeemed. I think big-name people in Hollywood will steer clear of him.
While Depp is no longer off the grid in regards to his career and booking things, it has us wondering what will be next for the actor. Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently shared that he “would love to have him” in the next Pirates movie if he was interested, but the insider doesn’t think Disney would give him a major role going forward and also said this:
There are different levels of shunning. [Depp] is not at the Kevin Spacey level. My guess is that he is more in the Mel Gibson range. The international audience will be happy to see him in things and probably a lot of people in the United States as well. But I can tell you something about both of those guys [Depp and Gibson]. If you bring them up in the dominant studio world [as candidates to anchor a film], it is not a no, but it is a question: ‘Who else do you have?’
Of course time will tell, but according to this insider, we’re not looking at Johnny Depp going back to heading a tentpole movie anytime soon. It’s certainly a risk for a major studio to employ an actor with a reputation such as Depp’s at the moment. At the same time, the actor certainly has a sizable audience who will continue to support his work.
Amber Heard alleged in her testimonies that Johnny Depp physically abused her, including slapping her three times in the same day, as well as other instances of throwing her to the ground, throwing objects at her, choking her and sexually assaulting her with a glass liquor bottle. Depp has denied all allegations, and testified that Heard was the aggressor instead.
The Aquaman actress recently decided to settle the defamation case after previously fighting the verdict because she has “lost faith in the American legal system’ following the recent trial and wants to devote her time to other things. She’ll reportedly still star in the upcoming Aquaman sequel with Jason Momoa.
We’ll keep you updated about what’s going on with Johnny Depp and Amber Heard following their 2022 legal proceedings here on CinemaBlend as they continue to develop.