

Exactly what the franchise's future looks like remains to be seen, but whatever upcoming installments do, they likely won't be as hated as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Captain Jack Sparrow is back in excellent form for his fourth adventure in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which is more serious in the hands of a new director, Rob Marshall, and thanks to Penelope Cruz its also a good deal sexier. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise might not be the most critically acclaimed series of films, but its lasting popularity is a testament to its ability to capture audiences' imaginations. The franchise might appear to have been in steady decline since its conception, but the fourth film stands out as the most despised - Pirates 4 was even almost banned in China.

Bloom and Knightley later returned in minor supporting roles for Dead Men Tell No Tales, which went some way to legitimizing the fifth film in the franchise, pointing to the possible reason it was better received by fans.

When Elizabeth and Will's actors declined to return for On Stranger Tides, it saw the franchise limp on as a shadow of what it once was without two members of its original core cast. The original trilogy, while not critically adored, still rounded out the story that began in The Curse of the Black Pearl in an organic progression of the narrative. One more reason for On Stranger Tides' status as the most-hated Pirates of the Caribbean sequel is how unnecessary it was.
