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CELEBRITY EXTRA #12345_20260824
FOR RELEASE AUG. 24, 2026
BYLINE: By Dana Jackson
Photo Credit: Depositphotos
Photo Caption: Johnny Depp (Upcoming in "Day Drinker")
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Q:Is Johnny Depp making a comeback anytime soon? I haven't seen him in anything since all the bad publicity he had with his ex-wife. -- S.T.
A:It's been four years since the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, but his career has never regained the heights that it achieved in the early 2000s. He portrayed King Louis XV in the French historical film "Jeanne du Barry" back in 2023, and his future has been looking brighter since. He's starring in the action thriller "Day Drinker" with Oscar winner Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), which is set for a March 2027 release. This November, however, he'll play the title character in the holiday film "Ebenezer."
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer did say at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event that he's in talks with Depp about reprising the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean 6." A screenplay is in progress, but this sequel will center on a new female lead played by Margot Robbie and place Depp in more of a supporting role.
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Q:Isn't Marvel making a movie or TV series with Paul Bettany's character called "VisionQuest"? Whatever happened with this? -- C.E.
A:It's understandable that one would think that Disney has abandoned the planned "WandaVision" spin-off "VisionQuest" because it's been years in the making. The original series with Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany ended in 2021, and we were treated to the first "WV" spin-off -- "Agatha All Along" starring Kathryn Hahn -- in 2024. Disney recently released the trailer for the upcoming series "VisionQuest" at the recent D23 Disney event.
In the preview, we see Bettany as "a humble guy working in a British pub," according to TVLine, "[who] takes a trip inside his own mind and his own memories, admitting that 'I was an Avenger, but I'm not a hero anymore.'" James Spader also stars as Ultron, who tries to convince Vision that his memories are indeed real and urges him, "Free us all and save your son."
The new series is expected to premiere on Disney+ on Wednesday, Oct. 14. In addition to Bettany and Spader, the cast includes Faran Tahir ("Iron Man"), Emily Hampshire ("Schitt's Creek"), Todd Stashwick ("12 Monkeys"), and T'Nia Miller ("The Haunting of Bly Manor").
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Q: Is Ryan Gosling starring in a new "Star Wars" movie? I thought they finished making them with this past trilogy. -- A.B.
A:Yes, there's another "Star Wars" movie in the works, but it's an entirely original story that, according to director Shawn Levy, is neither a prequel nor a sequel. In "Star Wars: Starfighter," Ryan Gosling ("Project Hail Mary") plays a rogue pilot named Kade Auberon. Aubeoron, according to Entertainment Weekly, has a decommissioned G17 starfighter in his possession that he claims is "the fastest ever built."
Levy, who directed "Deadpool & Wolverine," is excited to team up with novelist and screenwriter Jonathan Tropper ("The Adam Project," "Your Friends & Neighbors") and Gosling, of course. Look for what's sure to be another blockbuster hit for the "Star Wars" franchise in theaters on May 28, 2027.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com.
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