Pirates of the Caribbean: Every Black Pearl Crew Member Explained

The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie introduced an entire crew for the legendary ship The Black Pearl, but how many of Jack’s fellow pirates actually earned another appearance in the series? Directed by Gore Verbinski, the first movie in the franchise was a surprise sleeper hit for Disney and spawned a number of financially successful sequels. The studio had high hopes for the movie, but the relatively recent failure of Renny Harlin’s infamous flop Cutthroat Island meant that swashbuckling action was still a risky investment, and ambitions for the potential franchise were tempered as a result.

However, thanks to a stellar script, fast-paced action, and a superb cast, The Curse of the Black Pearl soon earned rave reviews and proved a box office smash. The movie inevitably spawned a string of sequels and, while none could recreate the critical acclaim of the original, each Pirates of the Caribbean sequel was nonetheless a financial success. However, despite the movies performing admirably throughout all five theatrical outings, not all of the original movie’s cast returned for all of the follow-up films.

Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, for example, played major roles in the first three movies but left after the original trilogy, only appear in brief cameo roles come the fifth film. Meanwhile, The Curse of the Black Pearl introduced a whole crew for the eponymous ship, but for all of the members who played a relatively big part in the original movie, few were seen later in the franchise. In the case of some stars, this was an issue of unfortunate timing—the ballooning budget of On Stranger Tides meant a changed plan, and one that resulted in Pintel and Ragetti not returning. However, in other cases, it is not entirely clear what stopped the actors from coming back, or why some stars were able to reappear as their Black Pearl crewmates and others were absent from later installments.

Captain Jack Sparrow

Obviously, the first and most important character aboard the Black Pearl is the ship’s rightful captain, the roguish antihero Jack Sparrow. As fans of the franchise know, Johnny Depp’s campy character is central to the series and, as such, is one of only four characters from the ship to appear in all five films so far. That said, Depp has recently been let go from the role, and although pressure is mounting on Disney to reinstate the actor in his most iconic part, it remains unclear whether Captain Jack Sparrow will return for the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean reboot. For now, though, he remains the Black Pearl’s most well-known and recognizable crew member.

Captain Barbossa

The Captain who ousted Jack and the first film’s main villain, Captain Barbossa is another crew member who can boast an appearance in every Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Sure, he may have been demoted to minor villain and occasional ally in the second and third movies, but he became a secondary protagonist in the fourth and fifth films in the absence of Will and Elizabeth. Much like Sparrow, this former captain’s place in the franchise is currently in jeopardy. 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales killed off the Captain, despite also introducing Barbossa’s plot-hole-ridden daughter Carina. That said, he was already revived from certain death at the close of Dead Man’s Chest, so watch this space.

Gibbs

Jack’s endlessly loyal (until the fifth film in the series, that is) first mate Gibbs helps him get back the Pearl, acts as his right-hand man, and is the final human crew member to appear in every outing of the franchise. An amiable figure who is a touch superstitious and seriously fond of his hip flask, the well-meaning Gibbs is nonetheless the most outwardly heroic of the ship’s motley crew members (Jack and Barbossa included). That said, even he has his limits. Gibbs appears throughout the series but does not betray Jack until the drastically changed fifth Pirates film that sees him tire of the Captain’s antics.

Pintel & Ragetti

The comic relief duo who bring Elizabeth Swann/Turner into the original trilogy’s story, Pintel & Ragetti appeared in the first three movies but have not cropped up since thanks to scheduling conflicts. Beloved by fans of the original series, this originally creepy and eventually hilarious pair are some of the best background characters in the series and would be have been a welcome source of humor in later installments. Evidently, On Stranger Tides director Rob Marshall agreed with this sentiment, as he hoped to include a cameo for the pair but could not find sufficient screen time in the finished film.

Cotton

The voiceless pirate who lets his parrot do the talking for him, Cotton was also only seen in the heavily-inspired original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. His absence goes uncommented on in later installments, leading some fans to wonder whether he perished offscreen in the melee of At World’s End’s tragic ending. The fact that one of his crewmates was missing in On Stranger Tides but cropped up in its sequel means there may be hope for Cotton yet. Unfortunately, the character would be recast if he reappears as his original actor, David Bailie, passed away at 83 in early 2021.

Marty

Martin Klebba’s Marty went from a background appearance in the first film to a supporting role by the third and reappears in the fifth outing of the series. Marty’s relatively minor screen time does not stop him from being one of the most oft-seen faces from the Black Pearl’s crew, with the actor’s four films outdoing Cotton, Pintel, and Ragetti. However, there is one other crew member who has made it into every movie outing in the franchise so far.

Jack the Monkey

Appearing in the original Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and every subsequent sequel, Jack the Monkey is the unlikely fourth crew member who has consistently been present throughout the ship’s screen history. The ship’s mascot may not be human, but he is the only Black Pearl crew member outside of Barbossa, Sparrow, and Gibbs to appear in all five films. There is no knowing whether the undead Jack the Monkey will put in another appearance in Margot Robbie’s upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean reboot, but for now, at least, the undead simian can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the franchise’s biggest names in terms of series appearances.

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Cathal Gunning
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Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies and TV online since 2020. His obsessions include The Simpsons, Stephen King, the Scream series, and the horror genre in general. He has spent more time thinking about Stranger Things than the writers of Stranger Things, and he has never seen a Star War.

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