He told the Los Angeles Times that he only agreed to participate in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' because of Cook. The three movies in the series have already grossed some $2.8 billion worldwide and Disney announced a fourth installment last week to be called on 'Stranger Tides'.

But given Depp's iconic role in the series, his departure could spell a death knell for the money-spinning franchise.

'There's a fissure, a crack in my enthusiasm at the moment,' Depp said. 'He's instantly trustworthy. And you generally don't meet people at the studios you trust. I consider Dick a friend in an insane system.'