MOVIE NEWS – Geoffrey Rush, known for his role as Captain Barbossa, is likely not returning for the Pirates of the Caribbean reboot, feeling that his character’s story arc is complete. Rush suggests a ghostly return for Barbossa in the reboot, taking inspiration from classic literature like Hamlet. The upcoming Pirates reboot may need to reintroduce Barbossa’s character, possibly without Rush’s involvement.

Although a major reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean is underway, Geoffrey Rush, who portrayed Captain Hector Barbossa, the adversary and rival of Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), has shared mixed feelings about his possible inclusion in the new film. Barbossa made his iconic debut as the cursed captain of the Black Pearl in the first film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Despite cheating death in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, after being revived by Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), Rush is hesitant to reprise his role in the upcoming film.

As reported by Collider, Rush explained why bringing Barbossa back for the reboot might not be a good idea. He stated,

“I didn’t let them do that in the last film because I said, ‘I sacrificed my life for my daughter.’ You can’t just bring him back suddenly. But I did have a good idea, which is classically based. Hamlet’s father comes back as a ghost, and I just said, ‘I can come back…’”

Rush’s comments suggest he is not particularly eager to return as Barbossa in the reboot, but he isn’t entirely opposed either. It seems, like many aspects of the new iteration of the franchise, fans will have to wait and see what happens in the coming months.

Why bringing back Captain Barbossa might be a bad idea?

Captain Hector Barbossa, after making a memorable debut as a cunning and treacherous pirate with his own agenda, redeemed himself in the final film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. In the film, Barbossa discovers his long-lost daughter, Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), for whom he sacrifices his life to kill Captain Armando Salazar (Javier Bardem).

While Barbossa was always known for his desperate pursuit of valuable treasures, his ultimate sacrifice to save his true treasure, his own daughter, gave his character a fitting conclusion. However, the same cannot be said for Carina, who searched for him her entire life only to lose him as soon as she found him. This could be a reasonable justification to resurrect Barbossa and reunite him with his daughter, but it might not work for one main reason.

The upcoming film is a reboot, meaning that all events that happened in the original films will likely serve as inspiration for the new installment, rather than being directly tied to them. Thus, the writers would need to reintroduce Captain Barbossa if he is to appear at all. It’s understandable that Geoffrey Rush might not want to undermine one of his most memorable roles, but whatever the future holds for the film franchise, we can only hope for a solid reboot that meets the expectations, with or without the involvement of its most iconic stars.

Source: Movieweb