Despite a life of treachery and cunning schemes, Academy Award-winner Geoffrey Rush’s iconic Pirates of the Caribbean character, Captain Hector Barbossa, met a heroic end in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Considering his gleeful baddie became one of the franchise’s best — and the fact that Barbossa cheated death many times — it’s only natural for us to wonder whether this legacy character will make a return in the highly-anticipated sixth feature. However, during an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Rush explained why he didn’t want his character making an official return, but he did have some ideas on how he could appear.

In 2019, it was reported that the Disney franchise would once again set sail after the script traded hands for the first time. After years of stormy waters, producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently confirmed that while this movie may not be a continuation of previous characters played by Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and Orlando Bloom, the Pirates reboot is still happening. Franchise fans will get another chance to explore the vast world first brought to screen by writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, who Rush describes as “whimsical” and likens their abilities to those of Charles Dickens.

During their conversation, Rush discusses past projects, theater versus onscreen roles, backlash from critics, and the pivotal crew member who helped him find Barbossa’s swashbuckling swagger. While we wait for further updates on the reboot, check out Rush’s character theories below, as well as an update on his Groucho Marx drama.

Who Is ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’s Captain Hector Barbossa?

In 2003, Disney brought their theme park ride to life with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It introduced us to Depp’s unforgettable turn as Captain Jack Sparrow and launched a five-movie saga that traversed the Seven Seas, weaving together legendary pirate lore like Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), Sao Feng (Chow Yun-fat), Blackbeard (Keith Richards) with new faces like Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann, Bloom’s William Turner, and Rush’s Hector Barbossa.

In the first film, Barbossa serves as the antagonist to Depp’s morally ambiguous protagonist. He’s originally depicted as a one-dimensional “bad guy” with the singular goal of lifting the curse on himself and his crew. To find this diabolical pirate captain, Rush shares with us where he found surprising inspiration. Behind the scenes, the Pirates cast worked with Olympic fencer Bob Anderson, who went on to become a renowned fight choreographer in Hollywood, “who choreographed The Princess Bride, he played Darth Vader under the mask for the fights, and he coached Errol Flynn back in the day.” On set, Anderson was the master swordsman, and Rush claims, “He gave me the juice [for Barbossa],” telling us:

“He said, ‘You kick sand into people’s eyes. You force them off the edge of a cliff. You don’t fight with any kind of academic or military panache,’ which was great. He said, ‘You’re a pirate. How old are you?’ I said, ‘I’m 53.’ He said, ‘If you’re a pirate and you’re still alive at 53, you’re a c*nt. You are gonna be ruthless .'”

What Happened to the “Ruthless” Barbossa?

Image by Zanda Rice

After five films, all of which brought Rush back, however briefly (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest), the captain turned undead pirate turned privateer for King George II (Richard Griffiths), and finally pirate again, met his end. When we last saw him in Dead Men Tell No Tales, Barbossa discovered a long-lost daughter, the astronomer Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario). It was a selfless act of love when Barbossa realized he’d have to kill Capitán Armando Salazar (Javier Bardem) to save the treasure that truly mattered.

Because of this ultimate gesture, Rush felt Barbossa couldn’t be brought back again for the reboot. He tells us, “I wouldn’t let them do that in the last film because I said, ‘I sacrificed my life for my daughter.’ You can’t just suddenly go, ‘We’re gonna bring him back.’” This effort to maintain Barbossa’s redemption arc seriously hinders the prospect of bringing this character back into the fold. So, is it impossible we’ll see Hector Barbossa again?

Not according to Rush, who cites William Shakespeare as his influence:

“But I did come up with a good idea, which is classically based. Hamlet’s father comes back as a ghost, and I just said, ‘I can come back…'”

Will Johnny Depp Be in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Reboot?

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Considering the legal troubles surrounding the franchise’s star, Johnny Depp, one of the number one questions on fans’ minds is how Disney will proceed. Bruckheimer has made it clear that he’d love to have Depp reprise his role but that it’s ultimately up to Disney. In Rush’s opinion, it’s going to be difficult to carry on without the drunken pirate. “Whoever takes over from Johnny, I don’t know what’s gonna happen there. He’s irreplaceable. Jack Sparrow is the new Robert Newton.” In fact, Rush tells us the character embodiment called to mind a important figure in the acting sphere:

“Early on, we had a chat between Orlando [Bloom] and Johnny and myself, and he was already talking about pop stars like Keith Richards having that kind of visceral identity that you knew. He said, ‘I’m just fascinated that this character, Jack, spends half his life on land and half his life on water. What if he never really gets his sea legs?’ And that’s where that whole war came from. Michael Chekhov , who was a Russian actor, wrote books about the defining moments of creating characters, and people studied that for decades… but I know people like Anthony Hopkins and Jack Nicholson always said, ‘Oh, we all read about Michael Chekhov.’ I went, ‘That was Johnny’s brilliant instinct.’ It’s a whole picture.”

Whether the sixth Pirates movie brings Depp back or not, Rush agrees with Bruckheimer, — “He just made the essence of the character.”

What’s Next for Geoffrey Rush?

Image by Zanda Rice

Outside his work with Disney, Rush, a self-proclaimed “theater animal,” has acted on stage or onscreen for over four decades. He’s seen his share of highs and lows, as is the nature of the industry, but doesn’t regret a single character he’s portrayed. While talking with Weintraub, Rush touched on projects that challenged him, like 1996’s Shine, which earned him his Oscar, to Alex Proyas’ action-adventure Gods of Egypt (2016). “The thumbs down on that project was brutal,” he laughs. You’ve most notably seen Rush in films from what he dubs his “Elizabethan phase,” like Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love, or perhaps in The King’s Speech or House on Haunted Hill (1999) when he wanted to “pay homage to William Castle in some form.” On stage, Rush has delivered performances in King Lear, Exit the King (earning him a Tony Award), and many others.

As for what’s to come, Rush will work alongside John Lithgow in The Rule of Jenny Pen and shares with us a less-than-ideal update to his biographical drama Raised Eyebrows:

“I agreed to accept this rather wonderful screenplay about the last days of Groucho Marx in the middle of August 2020, and it’s still seriously on the back burner. I’ve learned that script note-perfect and forgotten it and learned it again and forgotten it because no one’s choosing to finance it, or COVID got in the way, or films like that don’t matter anymore.”

Stay tuned to Collider for future updates. You can hit the high seas with the entire five-feature Pirates of the Caribbean saga streaming on Disney+.