In front of the camera, Martin was performing a scene.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you will forever remember this day, because you almost captured Captain Jack Sparrow."
He leapt onto the ship's bow, shouting at the pursuers with enthusiasm.
As soon as he finished his line, he suddenly slipped and fell into the water.
Then, he shot up straight from the water, gripping the side of the ship, half his body still above the water, desperately trying to maintain his dramatic pose while pretending to be composed, shouting, "That dive was my parting gift for you—did you like it?"
Martin had his own interpretation of the Jack Sparrow character.
After thoroughly studying all five Pirates of the Caribbean films in his memories from the parallel universe, Martin categorized these films as follows:
The first film: "F*ck, my ship was stolen."The second: "Fck, fck, I've been stolen."The third: "Damn it, my ship's been stolen again."The fourth: "Damn it, f*ck, they stole me and my ship."By the time the fifth came out, it was called: "What the f*ck, they even stole the movie."
Alright, the above was just a joke.
In Martin's mind, Captain Jack Sparrow was a mad yet clever pirate. He had an irresistible charm: humorous, free-spirited, unpredictable, fond of rum, peanuts, and beautiful women.
He was deeply loyal but still selfish like a pirate; fearless, yet often hesitant and unwilling to face challenges. He was carefree, yet moved with grace at times.
This was a character that defied easy categorization. In moments of crisis, he always managed to turn things around. He was skilled at using various tricks and rules, just like a legendary pirate; yet, at times, his excessive caution and indecision led him to lose his Black Pearl twice.
However, despite his love for freedom and carefree nature, losing a ship or almost losing his life wouldn't stop him from yearning for the sea and for freedom.
To sum it up, the essence of this character was humor, eccentricity, and novelty, with various layered traits filling it out. The core of the character was his pursuit of freedom and self-expression.
When Martin performed the role, he didn't simply mimic Johnny Depp's original portrayal, but infused it with some of his own interpretation.
Incubus are perfectionists, and since Martin took on the role, he was determined to do it better than Johnny Depp, even though no one in this timeline knew what Depp's performance was like!
This was the pride of a Incubus!
In Johnny Depp's original portrayal, he emphasized the drama and anti-traditional elements, giving the character a bizarre aura.
Martin, however, added loneliness and grandeur to make the character more well-rounded and suited to his own style.
After all, Martin's looks were far superior to Johnny Depp's. Even with the heavy makeup and flamboyant gestures, his beauty couldn't be hidden.
Rather than shaping the character into Depp's "madman" type, Martin opted to create a "handsome, multifaceted" middle-aged man who was "alternative" but not a "lunatic."
Of course, this made the performance much more challenging, but Martin was confident in his ability to handle it.
In Martin's mind, the reason Jack Sparrow seemed eccentric and mad was not because he was truly insane, but because he clashed with the stubbornness of society.
His multiple personalities seemed to be the result of his frustration and depression, stemming from his inability to achieve freedom. His soul was free, but his body was constrained. Even the strongest person has moments of weakness and compromise, and Jack Sparrow was simply an exaggeration of that.
Because his soul was free, he acted without regard for societal rules, etiquette, or judgment, making him appear eccentric.
But because his body was bound by societal norms, he felt frustrated, restricted, and sometimes lost—hence his ever-changing personality.
He was a captain who sought freedom but always failed, not a clown.
Martin completely discarded the shadowy, grim qualities from Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow, keeping the flamboyance and absurdity, while adding moments of charm and toughness.
From Martin's perspective, Depp's portrayal somewhat limited the character's personal appeal. Depp immersed himself in portraying the eccentricity and madness, but neglected the fact that this was a future pirate king!
How could a person destined to be one of the nine pirate kings lack a tough, decisive side?
The captain of the Black Pearl, a figure who sailed across the Caribbean, shouldn't be confined to such a narrow portrayal.
Combining all these understandings, Martin crafted his version of Jack Sparrow.
And he performed it that way.
Director Gore Verbinski, sitting behind the monitor, stroked his chin, his eyes glowing like light bulbs. His trembling beard showed how excited he was.
Watching Martin emerge from the water, he couldn't help but turn to Jerry Bruckheimer beside him and say:
"Martin's portrayal of Jack Sparrow is completely different from the traditional pirate captain image. No missing arms, no iron hooks, no eye patches or big beards—completely anti-traditional. But after these days of shooting, I think—"
He paused before continuing: "I think he might create a truly unique, legendary pirate captain!"
"So, you think Martin's interpretation of Jack Sparrow is correct?" Jerry Bruckheimer asked.
"Definitely. After these days of shooting, I'm moved. This Jack Sparrow is full of charm. Audiences will absolutely love him!"
"I don't believe you weren't moved!" Gore Verbinski countered.
Jerry Bruckheimer laughed. "Alright, alright, I admit I was moved. Damn it, Martin's performance is sublime. This character is nothing like Legolas or Neo anymore."
He paused and then looked astonished. "There were moments when I honestly thought—he is Jack Sparrow. This is how Jack Sparrow should be! He brought this character to life!"
Orlando Bloom stood nearby, feeling nervous.
Although he couldn't put it into words, as a professional actor, he could sense that Martin's acting was extraordinary. And now it was time for him and Martin to share a scene together.
Damn, the more he thought about it, the more nervous he got. What should he do?
Honestly, there was no need for him to be that nervous.
Will Turner was supposed to be the second male lead in this movie, but he really didn't have much of a presence.
If you were to break the movie down by character importance, 90% of the drama centered on Jack Sparrow.
Another 5% went to Elizabeth, the strong female character in the film who was particularly popular with feminists.
The remaining 5% was for everyone else.
Yeah, that's right, Will Turner was part of that "everyone else" category.