“I initially wrote that character with Hugh Jackman in mind,” screenwriter Stuart Beattie revealed. “Hence the name Captain JACK Sparrow.”
Offers Fox News, "At the time, Jackman was a prominent actor in Beattie’s homeland of Australia, but was not yet a big on the international scene, prompting the folks at Disney to dismiss Beattie’s casting contribution and instead hunt down Johnny Depp for the role. And when it comes to trying to pushing for a big break in Hollywood, patience certainly pays off."
“I spent ten years pitching it to Disney and they weren’t interested,” Beattie, who went on to write Collateral, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and 30 Days of Day, said. "Then finally, I got a call to come back in.”