20 Most Epic Character Introductions In Movies

5. Jack Sparrow - Pirates Of The Caribbean (2003)

After 1995's infamous Cutthroat Island rendered the pirate movie obsolete, expectations were low for Gore Verbinski's swashbuckler based on a Disney theme park attraction. Of course, the movie would turn out to be one of the most entertaining blockbusters in recent memory and launch a franchise of ever-declining quality that has nonetheless earned over $3.7bn in box office receipts, led by Johnny Depp's instantly-iconic Captain Jack Sparrow.

Jack Sparrow's epic introduction encapsulates everything about the character in just two minutes. Standing at the top of the mast with the wind at his back as Hans Zimmer's orchestral music swells, the reveal shows that it isn't the most impressive of vessels and is taking on water. Approaching the dock at Port Royal with his ship rapidly sinking, Sparrow's perfectly timed descent sees him step handily onto dry land before bribing an official. As well as being a suitably epic entrance, the scene foreshadows the narrative by showing Jack as a captain without a ship, reveling in the organized chaos he brings wherever he goes. It also establishes the movie's merging of old-fashioned adventure with a rich vein of humor, as well as displaying the character's confidence, swaggering charm, comic timing and off-kilter mannerisms. Depp's unique take on the pirate saw him score a deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and over a decade later Jack Sparrow remains embedded in popular culture.
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