Just like 300 would have been nothing without ummm, er
Movies make it if movies are good. Movies flop if they are bad. Many stars make many flops. An actor is only as good as the vehicle he stars in. The most brilliant actor couldn't turn trash to treasure. As I've stated before, my kids had no earthly idea who Johnny Depp was before pirates and they still aren't interested in him if he is not in a pirate suit and neither am I. I would also imagine that many other children and teens who are a fan of the franchise were not previously fans of Johnny Depp. That speaks to his masterful portrayal of the character of captain jack but most importantly, the caliber of the Pirates films.
Obviously he did a great job with the character he was given. The franchise couldn't survive without him in that role because he is who we have come to identify with as Captain Jack. However, this film did not become the block buster it is simply because of Johhny Depp. That would be taking away from the brilliantly imaginitive work of all the creative geniuses involved that helped to make this series so stunning. The Pirates series is a masterful body of work in which any actor, however brilliant, would have been fortunate to be involved.
Now back to my original point which is a Pirate island would be a hugely popular and brilliant counter to HP island. They can and should do it. Disney has very little for boys and teens. This would more than solve it and it would also neutralize the effect that HP island will have on Disney's bottome line.
Releasing the hostages.