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Johnny Depp won his 2022 defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard.

But in an ironic twist, the trial may have done more damage to his career and reputation than any of the prior claims made by Heard.

Depp and Heard’s tumultuous marriage was placed under a microscope for the whole world’s perusal as the televised proceedings became an international spectacle.

Neither party came out unscathed as both sides leveled allegations of abuse, addiction, and erratic behavior.

Johnny Depp charts career comeback, possible resurrection of Captain Jack Sparrow

Depp has only appeared in one movie — the 2024 French film Jeanne du Barry — since the conclusion of the trial.

But a source close to the formerly bankable A-lister says he’s currently plotting an epic comeback story.

The insider tells In Touch that Depp is “working with Penélope Cruz at the moment, which is fantastic because he has a great rapport and history with her, they go back decades.”

The two are set to co-star in the upcoming thriller Day Drinker, the first of what Depp hopes will be many mainstream Hollywood projects.

“This is a long time coming for Johnny, he was quite literally in exile. But his win at trial over Amber opened the door for him to slowly rebuild his reputation and start working again,” says the insider.

“At one point, people predicted this day would never come, that he’d be ostracized from Hollywood forever, so this is very vindicating for him,” the source explains.

“He’s been in a much better headspace and as a result has been taking much better care of himself. He wants to come back his absolute best and have a full Phoenix rising arc.”

The insider claims that Depp always knew that he would need to gradually re-climb the Hollywood ladder after his string of scandals.

“He started with foreign productions and now he’s back in the Hollywood fold,” the source shares.

Rumors of a sixth Pirates film have been circulating for months, with some insiders claiming that the project will not include Depp.

But a recent report from British tabloid The Express claims that Depp is in “advanced talks” for the film, quoting a senior executive who said, “It’s very close to being a done deal.”

Obviously, a sixth installment in the mega-budget series would cement Depp’s comeback. But is Disney willing to take a chance on a star who’s been credibly accused of domestic abuse?

It would be a billion dollar gamble as the film could expect to earn at least that much in international box office. But bad press stemming from the allegations against Depp might sink that ship before it leaves the harbor, leading to major embarrassment for one of the world’s most beloved brands.