Pirates of the Caribbean fans are realising 'dark' secret about Jack Sparrow

Daily Mirror

07-07-2025

Even though it's been years since the movie franchise came to an end, Pirates of the Caribbean fans are only just discovering a very "dark" secret about Captain Jack Sparrow
If you've ever watched Disney's five part movie franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, you'll be familiar with Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp.
The first movie, called Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, follows pirate Jack Sparrow and the blacksmith Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom, as they attempt to rescue the kidnapped Elizabeth Swann, portrayed by Keira Knightley. After premiering in 2003, the film was a massive box-office success where it grossed $654.3 million (£480.5 million) worldwide.
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Since then, four more movies were released in the franchise, with stars now teasing that a sixth movie might be in the works.
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Despite it having been over 22 years since the first movie was released, fans are just learning the reason why Jack became a pirate and the Captain of the Black Pearl ship.
In a deleted scene from the third movie, called Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Jack is seen speaking to Lord Cutler Beckett, who is the chairman of the East India Trading Company and is on a mission to eliminate piracy. During the scene, it becomes apparent that Jack had once worked for Lord Beckett, as he expresses his disappointment in Jack.
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"We had a deal, Jack," Lord Beckett said to the pirate. "I contracted you to deliver cargo on my behalf. You chose to liberate it." To this, Jack coldly replied: "People aren't cargo, mate."
"Your good deed cost me, Jack," Lord Beckett replied, to which Jack said: "And you have spared me any possibility of ending up as anything other than what I am."
This deleted scene was discussed on the Sunday Cooltee podcast, where the hosts went on to explain how this had to do with the reason the Black Pearl became cursed.
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"The whole reason that Jack Sparrow's ship was black," one of the hosts, named Andy, started. He went on to mention the deleted scene in question, where it becomes apparent that Jack had freed the slaves he was ordered to 'deliver' to Lord Beckett.
"Apparently, Jack Sparrow worked for the East India Trading Company forever ago, and the Black Pearl was given to him under contract from Beckett to be running goods from these places," he said, before explaining how one of cargos he'd been assigned were slaves.
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Jack went on to free all the slaves, using the Black Pearl which wasn't black at the time. Beckett then catches up with Jack and lights the Black Pearl on fire, making it burn down and sink.
"And so he literally lost his ship, turned to pirating because he freed slaves," the podcast host explained. This later lead to Jack having to make a deal with Davey Jones to bring his ship back.
"And that's why also people are terrified when they see the Black Pearl. Because it shouldn't exist," another co-host named Joshua said.
People were amazed to learn this unknown detail of the backstory, and many fans were quick to wonder why the scene wasn't in the original version.
"This story would make great prequel," one person commented, while a second person said: "He became a pirate through a good deed."
"I still can't believe we were robbed of this," a third person added. Another person also shared: "Also why Jones makes Sparrows life worth 100 souls as that's roughly how many slaves he freed."