Jungle Cise's gay character isn't perfect, but he's progrs | SYFY WIRE

Contents:

• ‘JUNGLE CISE’ STAR JACK WHEHALL IS ‘PROUD’ OF HIS GAY CHARACTER’S COMG-OUT SCENE DISNEY FILM
• ‘JUNGLE CISE’S’ GAY CHARACTER IS YET ANOTHER BABY STEP FROM DISNEY
• JACK WHEHALL'S 'JUNGLE CISE' CHARACTER OUT AS GAY A NOT SO 'BIG AL' KD OF A WAY
• A GAY CHARACTER SPARKS BATE AND A REFORMED TRAR SAM EMERG DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE'
• JACK WHEHALL'S 'JUNGLE CISE' CHARACTER OUT AS GAY A NOT SO 'BIG AL' KD OF A WAY
• JACK WHEHALL FAC BACKLASH AS DISNEY'S 'FIRST GAY MAN'
• DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE' HAS COMG OUT SCENE WH OPENLY GAY CHARACTER
• JUNGLE CISE: DISNEY’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER (AND COMG OUT SCENE) EXPLAED
• ‘JUNGLE CISE’ STAR JACK WHEHALL IS ‘PROUD’ OF HIS GAY CHARACTER’S COMG-OUT SCENE DISNEY FILM
• 'JUNGLE CISE' STAR JACK WHEHALL ON SHARG SCEN WH A CGI JAGUAR AND PLAYG DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER [INTERVIEW]
• DISNEY SLAMMED FOR FALLG SHORT YET AGA WH JACK WHEHALL’S GAY JUNGLE CISE CHARACTER
• 'JACK WHEHALL ST BY DISNEY AS GAY JUNGLE CISE - DO MATTER HE'S STRAIGHT?'
• JUNGLE CISE'S GAY CHARACTER ISN'T PERFECT, BUT HE'S PROGRS

‘JUNGLE CISE’ STAR JACK WHEHALL IS ‘PROUD’ OF HIS GAY CHARACTER’S COMG-OUT SCENE DISNEY FILM

Jack Whehall says he didn’t know that his character McGregor “Jungle Cise” was gay when he origally dned for the film. While he don’t e the word “gay, ” he says he broke off three engagements wh women bee his “terts happily lay elsewhere.

‘JUNGLE CISE’S’ GAY CHARACTER IS YET ANOTHER BABY STEP FROM DISNEY

Jack Whehall opens up about playg a gay character #JungleCise, teasg a "signifint scene the movie" that was "thought about and talked about a lot" behd the scen. He’s gay. It’s another step om Disney toward LGBTQ+ reprentatn that feels big the ntext of the opprsively heterosexual rporatn—certaly, ’s an improvement over some of the lghably meangls Disney “gay moments” recent years—but small the ntext of the year 2021.

This is hardly the first time mastream Ameri has seen a gay man on a TV or movie screen. McGregor Houghton (Whehall) had already been d as a gay man, somewhat stereotypilly, throughout the film—fsy, effemate, and a ltle too to skre.

) But about an hour to the film, Frank and McGregor share a quiet moment together, which McGregor reveals— so many words— that he recently me out as gay to his fay. In 2017, Bety and the Beast director Bill Condon promised an “exclively gay moment a Disney movie, ” which turned out to be a two-send shot of LeFou—as played by Josh Gad—dancg wh a man the film’s fal ball sequence, jt before the creds roll.

JACK WHEHALL'S 'JUNGLE CISE' CHARACTER OUT AS GAY A NOT SO 'BIG AL' KD OF A WAY

Two years later, Avengers: Endgame -director Joe Rso revealed the film would feature the Marvel Cematic Universe’s first-ever openly gay character, which turned out to be a random du (played by Rso) g male pronouns to refer to his romantic partner. Unsurprisgly, the queer muny has not rpond wh gratu to the gay bread cmbs om Disney.

Unlike Bety and the Beast, his “gay moment” is an actual, hont-to-God scene that lasts for longer than two sends, and is not thrown at the very end of the film.

A GAY CHARACTER SPARKS BATE AND A REFORMED TRAR SAM EMERG DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE'

For once, the filmmakers didn’t proudly announce “Disney’s first gay character” while pattg themselv on the back for “reprentatn. ) There’s even a good exce to avoid the word “gay, ” given that Jungle Cise tak place the early 1900s, a time when the term “gay” ually meant feelg happy and nothg more. Some may argue—reasonably so—that a movie about a magil tree and ghosts is allowed a gay anachronism or two.

Personally, I re ls about hearg the word “gay, ” so much as I re about beg shown that McGregor is actually attracted to men. LOS ANGELES -- Brish actor Jack Whehall is proud of his gay character the new Disney adventure film 'Jungle Cise.

In a scene where MacGregor and Frank (Dwayne Johnson) are sharg a drk, the character out whout actually g the word "gay". Whehall, who reportedly didn't realize his character was gay when he got the part, went on to add: "It's a really nice cultural shift that we n have mastream movi and entertament that actually reflect the world that we live .

JACK WHEHALL'S 'JUNGLE CISE' CHARACTER OUT AS GAY A NOT SO 'BIG AL' KD OF A WAY

Durg the heart-to-heart between the duo, McGregor don't explicly say he's gay, but mak clear he's not terted romantic relatnships wh women.

Whehall was also asked about the scene by Variety at the premiere over the weekend, sayg he wasn't given "any ditn" McGregor was gay when he first dned for the role.

JACK WHEHALL FAC BACKLASH AS DISNEY'S 'FIRST GAY MAN'

When asked why McGregor don't explicly say he's "gay, " Whehall only flected -- sayg the publitn would have to ask screenwrer Michael Green the same qutn. Brish edian Jack Whehall plays a gay character Disney’s “Jungle Cise.

”Whehall’s MacGregor Houghton “ out” a “Jungle Cise” scene wh Dwayne Johnson’s Frank Wolff (never g the word "gay") film featur a rebooted Trar Sam, a character recently removed om the Disney Parks’ Jungle Cise after cricism over the ri’s racist pictn of Indigeno "Jungle Cise" has some notable passengers. Brish edian Jack Whehall plays Lily's brother MacGregor Houghton, who is gay, even g out  a scene wh Wolff (though notably whout employg the word "gay"). Meanwhile, ntroversial shnken head aler Trar Sam, recently removed om the Jungle Cise ri after cricism for s racist pictn of Indigeno people, reappears onscreen the reimaged form of Mexin actrs Veroni Falcó's how the characters took their plac onboard "Jungle Cise" which took $90 ln  worldwi box office and Disney+ Premiere Accs over openg Rock, Ey Blunt: Reveal that most awkward 'Jungle Cise' kiss, dirty jok cut by DisneyMacGregor Houghton subtly out to his Jungle Cise ptaDisney has been cricized for the lack of LGBTQ film reprentatn movi, and lled out for blk-or-you'll-miss- gay character moments films such as "Bety and the Beast" and "Onward.

" The word "gay" is not mentned the scene that further explas MacGregor's bond to his sister: dienc learn MacGregor's remag fay, and society, have turned their back on him "all bee of who I love. "It didn't matter if he said the word 'gay' or not, " says Johnson, a producer on the film.

DISNEY'S 'JUNGLE CISE' HAS COMG OUT SCENE WH OPENLY GAY CHARACTER

"'Bety and the Beast': That 'gay moment' may have been much ado about nothg"We didn't want to e across like we're standg on a soapbox, " Johnson adds, notg the scene shows diversy and cln were "owned and held regard" the praised screenwrer Michael Green for craftg the scene "wh licy and simplicy.

" Producer Hiram Garcia says the "Jungle Cise" filmmakers never set out to clu a gay character the perd piece.

"Early reactn to the gay character was mixed, wh one Twter er statg, "Disney will really do anythg to avoid g the word 'gay' s mastream ntent. ""The gay character JUNGLE CRUISE is cute and is generally right about thgs, " another Twter er wrote.

JUNGLE CISE: DISNEY’S FIRST GAY MA CHARACTER (AND COMG OUT SCENE) EXPLAED

PSA: Ladi, Jack Whehall Is SgleLearn more about Jack Whehall ahead of Season 3 of 'Travels Wh My Father, ' cludg his relatnship stat and whether he is gay or Apr. Article ntu below advertisementTogether, they do naked yoga, chat about the Spice Girls, and Jack even pet a round of what his dad lls "homoerotic man-on-man wrtlg.

‘JUNGLE CISE’ STAR JACK WHEHALL IS ‘PROUD’ OF HIS GAY CHARACTER’S COMG-OUT SCENE DISNEY FILM

"Source: NetflixArticle ntu below advertisementJack Whehall received some backlash for takg on the role of a gay character. Back 2018, when he was tapped to play the role of McGregor Houghton, an openly gay man Disney's forthg Jungle Cise, the reactn was not overwhelmgly posive.

"I jt feel a b off about people bag a muny wh queer storyl, gettg our money then not properly reprentg/rg about queer people or even volvg them at all your entire ~gay project~, " one person wrote on Twter.

'JUNGLE CISE' STAR JACK WHEHALL ON SHARG SCEN WH A CGI JAGUAR AND PLAYG DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER [INTERVIEW]

"If you are gog to e beg mp (which I know is entertag for dienc) as a ma tra of the gay character, at least let a gay person play them?

DISNEY SLAMMED FOR FALLG SHORT YET AGA WH JACK WHEHALL’S GAY JUNGLE CISE CHARACTER

" Even ntroversial Piers Man joed the nversatn to ask, "You're not gay @jackwhehall????

'JACK WHEHALL ST BY DISNEY AS GAY JUNGLE CISE - DO MATTER HE'S STRAIGHT?'

" So, seems pretty clear that Jack isn't gay, though he hasn't openly rpond to the mentary about his upg role, other than to say he was "honoured" to have been st. Comg Out Scene wh Gay Character... Disney is makg stris by troducg s first openly gay character the upg "Jungle Cise" movie, which will feature a big g out scene...

JUNGLE CISE'S GAY CHARACTER ISN'T PERFECT, BUT HE'S PROGRS

A tt screeng of the film took place last week -- 'll get a wi release 2020 -- and sourc who attend tell TMZ Disney avoids g the word "gay" when Jack Whehall's character, McGregor, out to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Unclear if the scene will make the fal cut -- but ya gotta image will, given how signifint a move is for Disney to clu a gay character an actn blockbter. There was already backlash om the LGBTQ muny over Whehall's stg earlier this summer -- he's a straight guy playg a gay character -- and now, 's obv Disney's watchg s step even closer as tipto to the 21st Century.

One small step for gay reprentatn... Although Disney mt ntue improvg s LGBTQ+ reprentatn, Jungle Cise is a clear step forward wh s first openly gay ma character.