Fact Check: Is Johnny Depp returning to Disney after defamation trial verdict?

American actor Johnny Depp's high-profile defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard has revealed some shocking facts about the actor's personal and professional life.

During the six-week trial, the actor testified that he had been dropped from several popular franchises like the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Pirates of the Caribbean due to Amber Heard's op-ed article in The Washington Post, where she had claimed to be a survivor of domestic violence.

Now that Johnny Depp has come out on top after the multi-million dollar defamation case, netizens are wondering if those production studios will work with him again. The star, however, has said that he has no intention of working with Disney for another Pirates film, even if they come to him with "$300 million [paycheck] and a million alpacas."

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What do Hollywood insiders think about Johnny Depp returning to Disney?

While the defamation court case was still underway, producer Jerry Bruckheimer told The Times on May 15 that Disney has no plans to bring Depp back as Captain Jack Sparrow for the time being. He added:

"The future is yet to be decided."

In a pre-recorded deposition submitted to the court on May 19, Disney executive Tina Newman testified that she didn't "know one way or another" if Johnny Depp was still being considered for a part in Pirates of the Caribbean 6.

The actor portrayed the legendary pirate captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise from 2003 to 2017. The five Pirates films starring Depp have grossed more than $4.5 billion worldwide.

He also portrayed the Mad Hatter in the 2010 live-action adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, and its 2016 sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass.

An industry veteran told news outlet The Wrap that there is a possibility that Depp might work with the studio again but he won't star in its blockbusters:

“No A-list movie is going to hire him the way they used to. He was a pain in the a** before the trial, always. And what he’s proven is he’s still a pain in the a**.”

A major talent manager that Johnny Depp would find work in the "independently financed world," but it would be difficult to find a role that would give him the money and fame that the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise did.

“Depp, yes, he can work. More in the foreign sales model and maybe eventually as a sort of character actor later down the road on a studio film with an auteur director, who can cast whoever they want.”

At the moment, Disney has not publicly announced if their stance has changed as a result of the judicial ruling. Whether Johnny Depp joins the remake or not, Margot Robbie will hold on to her role in the female-led film. The upcoming Disney film will be a fresh collaboration between Robbie and writer Christina Hodson, who had previously collaborated on DC's Birds of Prey, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

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Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard after she claimed to be a survivor of domestic violence in an op-ed that she wrote for The Washington Post. Although, she did not name Depp, his lawyers stated that the article insinuated that she was talking about him. They filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against her for tarnishing his professional image.