Austin Butler Is in an ‘Excellent Position’ to Join ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Franchise

Austin Butler heading for the high seas? The Bikeriders star recently played coy when asked about rumors he’d be joining the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. “Oh really, I haven’t heard about that,” the 32-year-old would only say. “I loved Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Now an industry insider says Disney does in fact want the Elvis alum on board . “The appeal of somebody like Austin is that he can completely transform into a character,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style. “The potential is there to create something as unforgettable as Johnny Depp ’s work on the first film 21 years ago.”

Speaking of Johnny, though the actor’s legal issues — he and his ex-wife Amber Heard tussled in court over abuse allegations, which he denied — made Disney cool toward him, he still could come back as Jack Sparrow. In June, the studio president said Disney was “noncommittal at this point.”

Either way, the insider says Austin won’t fully sign on until he sees a script. “They’ll pay him handsomely to appear in it,” says the insider. “He’s in an excellent position as long as the script is up to snuff.”