Geoffrey Rush has opened the door to returning as Captain Hector Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, nearly a decade after the franchise’s last movie. However, the actor made it clear that he would only return if the story gives Barbossa a worthwhile reason to come back.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, Rush acknowledged that enough time has passed since his previous appearance. He also stressed that he does not want Barbossa’s return to feel like an easy attempt to bring back a popular character.
“I don’t want it to be too cheesy and too easy that I come back and go, ‘Give me another payday.’”
Rush’s comments are particularly notable because Barbossa has already died twice throughout the franchise. The character was killed by Jack Sparrow in The Curse of the Black Pearl before eventually returning, while his second apparent death came in Dead Men Tell No Tales, when he sacrificed himself to save his daughter Carina.
The actor believes another return could still work if the screenplay finds a creative explanation. He compared the possibility to Shakespearean storytelling, pointing to Hamlet’s father appearing as a ghost, and suggested that Barbossa could potentially return to
“annoy Jack Sparrow for one more go.”
Rush is not the only original cast member interested in another Pirates of the Caribbean adventure. Orlando Bloom recently told Entertainment Weekly that he still asks about a sixth movie and occasionally speaks with Johnny Depp.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has also confirmed that discussions with Depp about returning as Jack Sparrow have taken place. However, the exact role Depp would have in the next movie remains unclear, with reports suggesting the new story could place greater emphasis on Margot Robbie’s character.
