You'd think following the order of the pirates of the caribbean movie series would be easy, right? It’s Disney. They make things for families. But if you actually sit down to marathon these, you quickly realize the timeline is a bit of a disaster. Between the mystical lore that keeps shifting and Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow progressively getting more eccentric, the narrative thread can get tangled.
Honestly, it’s a miracle the first one even worked. Back in 2003, nobody thought a movie based on a theme park ride would be anything other than a tax write-off. Yet, here we are, decades later, still arguing about whether the fourth one counts or if the fifth one actually broke the canon.
The Standard Release Order (The Way Most People Do It)
If you’re just looking for the straightforward list of how they hit theaters, it's pretty simple. You start with the lightning-in-a-bottle original and move through the increasingly expensive sequels.
First up is The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). This is the gold standard. It introduced us to Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and the man who would become a cultural icon: Captain Jack Sparrow. It’s a self-contained story, mostly. If they had stopped there, it would have been a perfect film. But money talks, so Disney ordered a trilogy.
Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End (2007) were filmed largely back-to-back. This is where the order of the pirates of the caribbean movie gets heavy on the lore. We get Davy Jones, the Kraken, and a whole lot of East India Trading Company politics. It’s dense. Some people love the sprawling complexity; others think it got a bit bloated.
Then came the "soft reboot" era. On Stranger Tides (2011) felt like a weird side quest. No Will, no Elizabeth—just Jack chasing the Fountain of Youth with Penélope Cruz. Finally, Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) tried to wrap things up by bringing back the original cast, but it also introduced some confusing retcons about Jack’s compass that made die-hard fans scratch their heads.
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Does Chronological Order Actually Matter?
Technically, the release order is the chronological order. There aren't any prequels here, unlike Star Wars or the MCU. However, the timeline of the world itself spans roughly 20 to 25 years.
- The Curse of the Black Pearl: Set around 1720-1730. Jack is trying to get his ship back. Simple.
- Dead Man's Chest: About a year after the first one.
- At World's End: Picks up immediately after the second.
- On Stranger Tides: There’s a jump here. Maybe a few years? It’s vague, but Jack is definitely older and more tired.
- Dead Men Tell No Tales: This is the big jump. We meet Will and Elizabeth’s grown son, Henry. This puts us at least 18-20 years after the third movie.
Wait. There’s a catch.
If you want the "true" experience, you have to include the short film. Tales of the Code: Wedlocked is a ten-minute prequel included on some Blu-ray sets. It explains why Jack’s boat was sinking at the very start of the first movie. It’s not essential, but if you’re a completionist, it’s the actual "first" thing you should watch.
Why the Third Movie is the Toughest Hurdle
Let's be real. At World's End is a lot of movie. At nearly three hours, it tries to tie up every single loose end from the first two films while introducing the Pirate Lords and a literal goddess. It’s a massive tonal shift from the breezy fun of the first film. Gore Verbinski, the director of the original trilogy, went all-in on the "weird."
Watching this in the order of the pirates of the caribbean movie sequence requires some stamina. You have to pay attention to the Brethren Court, the various betrayals—seriously, everyone betrays everyone at least twice—and the metaphysical rules of Davy Jones' Locker.
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One thing people often miss: the post-credits scene. Most of these movies have them. The one at the end of At World's End is crucial because it shows Elizabeth waiting for Will ten years later. If you skip that, the beginning of the fifth movie makes absolutely no sense.
Dealing with the Quality Drop-Off
It’s the elephant in the room. The first three movies feel like a cohesive, epic story. The fourth and fifth? They feel like sequels made because the brand was too big to die.
On Stranger Tides is based on a novel by Tim Powers. It’s a cool book, but shoving Jack Sparrow into that plot felt a bit forced. The cinematography changed, too. They swapped the grimy, film-stock look of the first three for a very clean, digital 3D look that lost some of the "pirate" grit.
Then you have Dead Men Tell No Tales (or Salazar’s Revenge depending on where you live). Javier Bardem is fantastic as the villain, but the movie messes with the established history of Jack’s origin. If you care about the internal logic of the series, this one might frustrate you. Jack feels less like a brilliant trickster and more like a lucky drunk.
The Best Way to Experience the Series Today
If you’re a first-timer, don't overthink it. Just watch them in release order. The evolution of the special effects alone is worth seeing in that sequence. The CGI on Davy Jones in 2006 still looks better than most Marvel movies today. That’s a hill I’ll die on.
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But if you’re a returning fan, try focusing on the "Will and Elizabeth" arc.
- Watch 1, 2, and 3.
- Skip 4 entirely (you won't miss any main plot points).
- Watch 5 just to see the resolution of the Turner family story.
It makes for a much tighter emotional experience. You avoid the "zombie pirate fatigue" that sets in around the halfway mark of the fourth film.
What’s Next for the Franchise?
The order of the pirates of the caribbean movie might be getting a new entry soon, but it’s all a bit murky. There have been rumors of a Margot Robbie-led reboot and talks about whether Johnny Depp will ever return as Captain Jack. Disney is clearly protective of the IP, but they also know they can't just keep doing the same thing.
The most recent credible reports suggest a "younger" cast reboot is in the works, possibly penned by Craig Mazin (the guy behind The Last of Us and Chernobyl). If that happens, the order will get even more complicated with a "Generation 2" timeline.
Actionable Steps for Your Marathon
To get the most out of your rewatch, keep these things in mind:
- Check the Post-Credits: Every single movie has a scene after the credits. The one in Dead Men Tell No Tales actually teases a villain we thought was gone forever.
- Watch the Short: Find Tales of the Code: Wedlocked on YouTube or your DVD extras before you start Black Pearl. It adds a nice layer of context to the "wenches" Jack mentions.
- Pay Attention to the Music: Klaus Badelt did the first one, but Hans Zimmer took over for the rest. The way the themes evolve—especially Davy Jones' Lullaby—is masterclass level.
- Ignore the Compass Plothole: In the fifth movie, they say Jack got his compass from a dying captain. In the second movie, Tia Dalma says she gave it to him. Don't try to reconcile this. It will only give you a headache. Just accept that memory is a fickle thing in the Caribbean.
The best way to enjoy these films is to embrace the chaos. They are loud, messy, and occasionally brilliant. Whether you're watching for the sword fights or the supernatural mythology, just remember: take what you can, give nothing back.