Dwayne Johnson reveals first look at Jack Whitehall in Jungle Cruise after backlash over gay character reports

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has revealed the first-look picture of Jack Whitehall in Disney’s Jungle Cruise movie, following the announcement of his character and the subsequent backlash.

Posting on his Instagram account, the star of practically every movie wrote: “On set of our DISNEY’S JUNGLE CRUISE and I made friends with a big ‘ol hungry Anaconda.

“While my brave co-star and good buddy @jackwhitehall did his best to smile thru his fear of snakes. Good times with the animals of the Amazon. Next, me and Jack will swim with the piranhas.. completely against his will. The adventure of the lifetime.”

🐍🚢🗺🌴 On set of our DISNEY’S JUNGLE CRUISE and I made friends with a big ‘ol hungry Anaconda. While my brave co-star and good buddy @jackwhitehall did his best to smile thru his fear of snakes. Good times with the animals of the Amazon. Next, me and Jack will swim with the piranhas.. completely against his will. The adventure of the lifetime. #AllAboard #Disney #JUNGLECRUISE 🐍🐟🚢🗺🌴

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Whitehall’s character in the film came under criticism recently due to reports that he’ll be playing the first openly gay character in a Disney movie (following Beauty and the Beast‘s LeFou having a “moment”).

The character has been described as “hugely effete, very camp and very funny” and, beyond the issue of casting a straight actor as the studio’s first gay character (something people have countered by saying gay actors play straight roles), people are annoyed that the character seems to be such an obvious, outdated stereotype.

Coronation Street‘s Kym Marsh has defended Whitehall’s reported character, saying that she doesn’t “see the problem”.

“I think it should be a case of the best person for the job, otherwise you’re discriminating against actors by saying: ‘You can’t play that part unless you’re straight or you can’t play that character because you’re gay’,” she added.

Jungle Cruise, which was recently confirmed for a 2019 release, will follow a group of travellers as they embark on a cruise through a jungle (can you believe?) filled with dangerous animals – and equally dangerous people.

Jungle Cruise will arrive in cinemas on October 11, 2019.

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