Javier Bardem may sail the high seas as a ghostly villain in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," the fifth installment of Disney's pirate franchise, according to TheWrap.
Bardem would play the villain Captain Brand, who blames Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) for the death of his brother, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He's also in search of a supernatural object to aid him in his quest.
"Kon-Tiki" filmmakers Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg will direct the film. In addition to Depp, Geoffrey Rush has also signed on to reprise his role as Barbosa. The cast could also include another love interest for Sparrow, a woman who is accused of being a witch, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Other returning cast members could include Ian McShane and Stephen Graham, as well as cameos by Orlando Bloom, who starred in the first three movies, and Keith Richards. Filming will begin in February in Australia.
Bardem saw his wife Penelope Cruz go toe-to-toe with the wily and cunning Sparrow in the last "Pirates" film, "On Stranger Tides." Cruz played the daughter of Ian McShane's Blackbeard and her character Angelica also shared a romantic past with Sparrow.
Bardem has experience playing the villain. He practically disappeared into his role as Bond villain Silva in 2012's "Skyfall" opposite Daniel Craig.
The last "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie premiered in 2011 and Disney won't release the next installment until July 7, 2017. The studio pushed the date back from 2015 due to script issues.
The franchise has grossed more than $3.7 billion worldwide to date.
