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First-Ever Gay Disney Character Will Debut In ‘The Jungle Cruise,’ Played By Jack Whitehall And Some Are Mad

By Mizuki Hisaka
Published on: 13:26 PST, Aug 12, 2018

Disney will finally unveil its first-ever gay character in the movie The Jungle Cruise. The film features The Rock, Emily Blunt, and Jack Whitehall. Jack’s character is gay, and he’s Emily’s brother. The character is described as “hugely effete, very camp and very funny.”

Sources revealed to the Sun that “This latest script, set at a time when it wasn’t socially acceptable to be gay, is another significant turning point.”

Even so, this major step is being heavily criticized by some because the actor is not actually gay in real life, detailed The Times. Chris Salvatore sarcastically said, “Such a d*mn shame it’s so hard to find gay actors to play gay roles in Hollywood.”

The movie is about a Disney ride that takes people through the jungle. It was first brought to life by Walt Disney himself in 1955. The movie set was completely constructed by Disney Studios, and looks fairly large in the video teaser that gives people a bird’s eye view. Disney themselves calls it “one of the most awe inspiring and massive sets ever built from scratch,” said Cinema Blend.

The plot details are mostly unknown. At the least, we know that Emily’s character, a scientist, sends The Rock, a skipper, on a quest to find a special tree according to the Inquisitr. The tree is believed to have special healing powers

The Rock’s character is especially interesting, because he was inspired by Walt Disney. The director is Jaume Collet-Serra, who previously directed House of Wax. The script was written by Michael Green, reported Digital Spy.

It’s hard to tell right now how big the backlash could be against Whitehall depicting a gay man. When it came to Scarlett Johansson playing a transgender man in Rub & Tug, the controversy became so great that the actress decided to step down from the role. Johansson went on to say that “I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive,” according to Vanity Fair. Other actors that have faced backlash for playing underrepresented characters include Matt Damon, Emma Stone, and Tilda Swinton.

On the other hand, some have drawn parallels between The Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. Although it’s not about pirates, the premise of an incredible journey, action, and humor has major potential. Others wonder if there will be sequels made later on.

The movie is slated to premiere in theaters on October 11, 2019.

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