Arnold Schwarzenegger Nearly Starred in His Own Pirate Franchise Before Pirates of the Caribbean

Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken on a myriad of roles over the years — from a barbarian to a killer robot, a super spy, and even a pregnant man. By the 1990s, he had seemingly done it all. But could Hollywood have envisioned him as a pirate? It almost became a reality following the success of True Lies and Junior.

In a recent discussion about the 30th anniversary of Eraser, director Chuck Russell shared that before collaborating with Schwarzenegger on the 1996 action thriller, they were working on an ambitious reboot of Captain Blood, inspired by Rafael Sabatini’s novel. Schwarzenegger was surprisingly invested in the project.

“We had a fantastic script for Captain Blood that Warner Bros. was keen on,” Russell noted. “It was a fresh take on Captain Blood.”

The iconic pirate character, famously portrayed by Errol Flynn in the 1935 film, might not have seemed like a natural fit for Schwarzenegger, whose hits leaned towards modern themes. At that time, he was still a major Hollywood star, fresh off blockbusters like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Last Action Hero, and James Cameron’s spy thriller. However, Russell felt there was potential for a pirate epic that showcased Schwarzenegger’s larger-than-life persona, even after the flop of 1995’s Cutthroat Island.

“There was a discussion about Arnold in tights,” Russell recalled with a chuckle. “I insisted that Arnold would not be in tights. I even commissioned a painting of him in leather pants that looked incredibly cool.” You can check out the original concept art by artist Morgan Weistling.

The project emerged after Russell’s success with The Mask, and he teamed up with his longtime collaborator, screenwriter Frank Darabont, to create a new vision for Captain Blood.

“Arnold wanted me to direct his next film because he loved The Mask,” Russell explained. “[Captain Blood] was definitely intended to be a fun action movie, very much in line with the tone of what Pirates of the Caribbean eventually became.”

However, as Captain Blood slowly progressed through development, another project gained traction. Schwarzenegger presented Russell with the screenplay for Eraser, and Warner Bros. was eager to jump on it immediately.

“Eraser was a film that was ready to go, and it wanted to happen right away,” Russell said. “Captain Blood was moving at a much slower pace.”

When asked why the pirate adventure never set sail, Russell admitted that there wasn’t a single reason.

“It’s a complex situation. I can’t pin it on any one individual,” he said. “Both were big-budget films, and everything has to align perfectly to get the green light. I was passionate about that project, but that’s just how the industry works.”

Ultimately, Schwarzenegger swapped a sword for railguns, alligators, and parachutes in Eraser. But we can still imagine him wielding a cutlass and wearing… well, leather pants.