Los Angeles, California - After an endless back and forth about continuing the popular film saga, a decision about the fate of Pirates of the Caribbean – and the return of Johnny Depp – seems to have been sealed.

For several years now, the future of the billion-dollar franchise has been hanging in the balance.

The uncertainty was amplified by the controversy surrounding Depp as its leading man, Jack Sparrow, after winning an explosive defensive trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, who has accused him of domestic violence.

Seven years after the fifth and final installment of the series hit the big screen, it now looks as if the 2017 flick will be the 60-year-old's last appearance as the charmingly arrogant pirate captain.

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Star producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed to ComicBook.com on Monday that the franchise's next installment will be a fresh "reboot."

A shock for many fans of the original series, Bruckheimer explained that this would make it easier to finally shoot the next film, as there would be no need to wait for the big stars of the previous films to be available.

However, the 80-year-old filmmaker has not yet revealed what exactly the next Pirates of the Caribbean parts will look like.

Usually, a "reboot" suggests a literal "reboot," meaning that the same or a similar story is told again from scratch, but with different actors and directors as well as new perspectives and focal points – or even a completely new story.

Still, it's also possible that it is merely a "soft reboot," meaning that the upcoming films will be set in the familiar Pirates of the Caribbean universe but with new main characters and storylines.

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In this case, Disney would leave itself the option of having old characters reappear in small guest appearances.

It is not yet clear exactly when we will see the new and most likely Depp-less Pirates of the Caribbean, but the last chatter suggested a 2027 release.