EXCLUSIVE: Why Johnny Depp's Hollywood Comeback Role is 'Last Chance Saloon' for Him to Resurrect 'Dead' Blockbuster Career
Johnny Depp is looking to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars again.
Jan. 7 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Johnny Depp's upcoming return to the big screen is being watched in Hollywood as a make-or-break test, with insiders telling RadarOnline.com his next role as the last realistic opportunity to revive a blockbuster career many believed was effectively dead.
The 62-year-old actor is set to star in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, a dark new adaptation of Charles Dickens' story, marking his first major studio-backed project since years of reputational damage following his legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard, now 39.
'I Was Shunned'
Depp has returned to a major studio film after years of career fallout.
Industry figures say the film represents a final roll of the dice for a star once synonymous with box-office certainty.
Depp's career was infamously derailed in 2020 after a bruising period of litigation and public accusations that saw him lose roles and industry support.
Reflecting on that period, Depp has said: "I was shunned, dumped, booted, deep-sixed, cancelled, however you want to define it."
Even though he won a U.S. defamation case against Heard in 2022, he admitted to heavy drinking, drug use, and destructive behavior – factors studio bosses still say remain central to concerns about his reliability.
Details of Depp's New Role
The actor stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in a dark new adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol.'
After a low-key re-emergence in the French period drama Jeanne du Barry in 2023, Depp will now play Ebenezer Scrooge in the upcoming London-shot production of A Christmas Carol, directed by Ti West.
The project also stars Ian McKellen and Daisy Ridley. A source close to the production said the role has been designed to play to Depp's strengths.
"The role plays to his gift for transformation – voices, physicality, and vanishing into layers of makeup in a way audiences have always responded to," the insider said.
"But it also requires relentless focus and consistency. He has to show up prepared and steady for months on end, with no room for erratic behavior."
'Last Chance Saloon'
Depp previously admitted his past drinking and drug use hurt his career.
Depp's on-set reputation had already been fraying before his split with Heard, with reports of lateness, alleged intoxication, and a 2018 lawsuit over an alleged altercation during City of Lies.
Another insider said studios now see Ebenezer as a controlled experiment.
"If he proves he can be reliable, focused, and controlled, there is a route back for him to blockbusters and big money projects," the source added.
"If he cannot, it will only reinforce the long-standing questions about whether he can be trusted on a major production. This really is the stuff of last chance saloon for him."
'Everyone Is Watching Closely'
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Hollywood is said to be prepared to deliver a final verdict on the movie star's future.
The stakes are understood to be unusually high. "This is nothing like his earlier franchise days," another source warned.
"Johnny can no longer rely on muscle memory or natural flair alone. What's required now is discipline and professionalism on the level expected of performers like Tom Cruise."
Another insider described the atmosphere around the project as supportive for Depp – but uncompromising. "There is genuine goodwill toward him, but it comes with skepticism," the source claimed.
"Everyone is watching closely, and this feels like the last real test. If he slips up, the industry will simply look elsewhere. He is also going to have to be totally sober for this to work."
For Depp, the film's theme of reckoning and redemption mirrors his own position. And whether the performance restores his standing will depend less on box-office numbers than on reports from the set.
One insider added, "Securing another high-profile project afterward would signal his return. If that does not happen, it will be taken as proof that the attempted comeback has run its course."
