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Okay. How do you generate interest in a film franchise that feels like it should have ended already?

Well, for one, you bring back Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, and then you pit him against a classic character; Blackbeard. Finally, and most importantly, get a great character actor like the gruff but suave Ian McShane to play him. And of course, that’s exactly what Disney has done.

Move over Barbossa and Davy Jones, here comes the granddaddy of all pirates, and like those previous villains he’s got an uber-talented, ham-fisted performer steering him.

McShane will join the cast of the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film, subtitled On Stranger Tides, along with Penelope Cruz and Mr. Depp when it starts filming this summer. Chicago helmer Rob Marshall is replacing Gore Verbinski this go-round.

Here’s hoping that McShane’s Blackbeard is less the jolly, fat scoundrel from those Disney movies (where he played football if I remember correctly) and closer to the kinds of villainy that he’s portrayed in stuff like Deadwood.

Either way, the new Pirates just got more interesting. I think this could be the perfect outing for the franchise and a chance to return to the simple, sublime pulp adventure of the first film.

What do you all think? Is McShane a good fit for Blackbeard, or does the character carry too much baggage? Let us know what you think below.