He once said he wouldn't play the character of Jack Sparrow again 'even for $300 million and a million alpacas'.

Seemingly, nothing could tempt Johnny Depp back to his famous role, so stung was he after being dumped by Disney bosses following the notorious wife-beating allegations against him.

Indeed, Depp had been mid-negotiation for his next iteration of Captain Jack in 2018 when the fallout from his divorce from actress Amber Heard began to escalate, eventually resulting in two court trials – and the studio acted rapidly to sever ties.

His manager said later that Depp could have made $22.5 million if the deal had gone through.

For years, an enraged Depp wasn't interested in ever working for Disney again, or even making a studio film.

'They blind dropped him even though he was telling the truth,' a friend of his told me bitterly three years ago, adding: 'He says he isn't interested in speaking someone else's words. He is interested in authentic expression of himself, through art and music at the moment. He's got no interest in Hollywood at all.'

Now, though, eight years on from the allegations which looked to have finished him, there has been an extraordinary turnaround.

Not only is Depp being cast again as a studio leading man, returning to the career which brought him vast financial rewards, it looks like he is set to don his famous red bandana, and bring back family favourite Captain Jack in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film.

Disney is clear it wants him. Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer says: 'We're talking with Johnny, we're working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done.'

The part looks set to be smaller than his previous turns and, while there isn't a green light yet because the script is still being rewritten, shooting may begin in 2027.

Depp is also taking the lead in Paramount Pictures' big pre-Christmas release, Ebenezer, telling the story of Charles Dickens' Scrooge – for which he'll soon be doing promotional activities. Plus the lead in a thriller, Day Drinker, for Lionsgate, in March next year.

Clearly, then, there's been a change of heart on both his side, and among Hollywood bigwigs.

The latter can almost certainly be explained by the fact that, put simply, Depp is the man the world couldn't cancel.

The grimness of the details revealed in those two highly publicised trials arising from allegations of domestic abuse towards Heard – among the ugliest were the text messages with actor pal Paul Bettany in which Depp said: 'Let's burn Amber!!!' adding: 'Let's drown her before we burn her!!! I will f*** her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she's dead' – appears to have been forgotten.