Johnny Depp returns as Jack Sparrow in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Stranger Tides, for another round of action-packed sword fights, treasure hunts and bittersweet romance.

Although Captain Sparrow is back, along with a slew of other familiar faces, a fresh cast of characters is introduced, including Angelica (Penelope Cruz, Nine) and Blackbeard (Ian McShane, Deadwood). However, to the disappointment of many Pirates fans, neither Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly) nor William Turner (Orlando Bloom) return for the fourth installment of the highly-praised franchise. On Stranger Tides, which is scheduled for release May 20, features Sparrow and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech) embarking on a journey in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth.

In the prior three movies, the plot has usually been a variation of the same idea. With the change of cast, an opportunity opens for a new storyline. The appearance of Sparrow’s old flame Angelica will sway his emotions, as well as the plot, to a whole new set of circumstances. Even more rousing is the placement of a new villain, Blackbeard, who unfortunately for Sparrow, is Angelica’s father.

Instead of the usual tropical setting, Captain Sparrow will also be journeying in other unfamiliar locations. This time, the film surprisingly does not start out on a ship in the Caribbean. Instead, Sparrow runs around the urban streets of London. The film also takes the audience to both Blackbeard and Barbossa’s ships.

In addition, On Stranger Tides will be the first in the series to be directed by Rob Marshall instead of Gore Verbinski. Marshall is famous for six Tony nominations, six Academy Awards, ten Oscar nominations and several successes on the big screen including Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha. In an LA Times interview, Marshall revealed to the press that he was excited to be working with Depp and, in fact, the opportunity to work with Depp was mainly why he agreed to take the job.

Over the course of eight years and four movies, Depp has grown into the shoes of his alter-ego pirate character. As Depp gets to know his character more profoundly, the experience will prove to be a better and more entertaining one for audiences. Thanks to the success of the Pirates movies, Depp’s character has gradually grown to become an iconic role and a widely known name.

Although many fans hold high expectations for the movie, the fear still lingers that the film will be repetitive, without anything particularly special for the audience to anticipate. Despite this, the choice of new characters may prove to be the launching of a whole new episode branching off of the original storyline.