British comedian Jack Whitehall (Fresh Meat, Bad Education) has been reportedly cast as Disney’s first openly gay character in an upcoming film based on a theme park ride.
The Jungle Cruise is set to star Whitehall, Emily Blunt and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as three adventurers who enter a magical jungle inspired by a Disneyland attraction of the same name.
The Sun have reported that an anonymous source confirms that the straight-identifying actor “is playing a gay man – one who is hugely effete, very camp and very funny.”
Disney recently gave a nod to the LGBTI+ community in the live action remake of Beauty and the Beast, which depicted Josh Gad’s Le Fou as having an obvious crush on the egomaniacal Gaston – leading to controversy in both Russia and Malaysia.
Disney fans have also been petitioning for the studio to include a girlfriend for Frozen protagonist Elsa.
The animation giant has yet to comment on Whitehall’s character.
