Have the New POTC Writers Changed the Rules for Will Turner's Return?

For those of us who don't follow sports, the Superbowl likes to give us one thing, and that's new film trailers. And Sunday was no exception. The newest trailer for the fifth installment of #PiratesoftheCaribbean franchise, named Dead Men Tell No Tales/Salazar's Revenge dropped and a lot was divulged. Fans went nuts, and understandably so. After the horrible reception that On Stranger Tides received, this film really could make or break the franchise, determining its future fate.

Fans have a lot of questions. From Salazar, supposedly the most dangerous villain #CaptainJackSparrow has ever faced, to newcomers Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites, there are a lot of theories floating around. Rather than answering them, the newest trailer seems to have only created more. The biggest of which revolves around the hero that skipped out on the fourth movie: William Turner.

Where We Last Saw Will Turner

We last saw him in the third installment, At World's End. During the final battle, he was stabbed aboard the Flying Dutchman by none other than Davy Jones himself. However, the Dutchman must always have a Captain, so thanks to a little help from Jack, Will stabbed Jones's heart before passing on, ensuring his survival. The price, of course, is a steep one. He can only step on land once every 10 years, and having just been married to Elizabeth, it was a hard pill to swallow.

For the rest of that time, he is charged with the duty of ferrying souls to the next world. As long as he does this, he'll remain his handsome self, barnacle and tentacle free. While it's not an easy task, Will is without question an honorable man, someone always apt to doing the right thing. Which is why this trailer was so disturbing.

Captain Turner is changing.

We see only a brief second of Will Turner, but the image above speaks a thousand words. Some are excited and hoping to see this change in Will, but many fans of the original trilogy can't help but feel worried and disappointed. Will is a true hero. Even if it hurts him, he will always do what he knows to be the right thing. Arguably the least selfish person of the franchise, willing to die both for Elizabeth and for his father, it's hard to imagine him abandoning his duty. Now, the transformation isn't complete, which makes sense as he hasn't been Captain as long as Jones was, but whether it will finish by the end of the film is, as of yet, uncertain. Why is it happening in the first place?

There are new writers on board.

The first four films were written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Having created the characters that we love (or hate), no one knows them better than these two. #DeadMenTellNoTales has not only changed directors once again, but also writers, and this is definitely worth worrying about. For the new characters, it doesn't necessarily mean anything bad, but without a proper understanding of those already established, it could be the tipping point for this film. This could explain Will's confusing fate. Perhaps he hasn't abandoned his post at all, but the writers have altered the rules, and this change is what naturally occurs whether the Captain fulfills his duty or not. Ideally, neither of these are the case, but looking at other instances when new writers come aboard a story, things aren't looking good.

What's happened to Elizabeth?

The other reason that could explain why Will has suffered this unlikely fate has to do with the love of his life, Elizabeth Swann. If something were to happen to her — if she were to die, for example — it would destroy him. She is what keeps him going, and has through each film. Without her, it's plausible that he would lose himself and cease to see the point of fulfilling his duty, if all it's brought him is misery. Even so, thanks to the post-credits scene in #AtWorldsEnd, we know that Will and Elizabeth have a son together, and Will knows of his son. Wouldn't that count for something? Not to mention that Keira Knightley has been confirmed to make a short cameo in the film. Unless it's a flashback, particularly to her final days, this theory doesn't quite pan out.

The reason why the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, especially the original trilogy, has done so well is not because of its scary and slightly disgusting villains. It's because of the main characters that we've grown to know and love. It's the dynamic of Jack, Will, and Elizabeth, three souls that were so unlikely to work together, but did. Changing the essence of one of these characters is so disappointing because we don't love them for what they could be, we love them for what they are. All we can hope is that, somehow, it all works out for the best.