Disney
Johnson says the scene is simply about "two men talking about what they loved and who they loved."
Disney is taking a bit of a step forward in terms of queer representation in "Jungle Cruise," thanks to a coming out scene between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and costar Jack Whitehall.
While we'll keep the details vague so as not to spoil the whole scene, the movie includes a quiet moment between Johnson's Frank Wolff and Whitehall's McGregor Houghton, brother to Emily Blunt's Dr. Lily Houghton. During the heart-to-heart between the duo, McGregor doesn't explicitly say he's gay, but makes it clear he's not interested in romantic relationships with women. He also says his sister is the only one who stood by him.
Frank, a skipper on the Amazon in the early 1900s, is both understanding and accepting.
Though there will likely be criticism for Jack still not labeling his sexuality or directly expressing his interest in men, it's more than anything Disney has done in its films so far -- following brief, blink-and-miss it moments in "Cruella," "Beauty and the Beast," "Onward," "The Rise of Skywalker" and "Avengers: Endgame."
"I felt that the scene was really exactly what it was, two men talking about what they loved and who they loved and it was as simple as that and they were sharing a drink," Johnson said when TooFab asked about the scene during a press conference for the film on Monday.
Whitehall added that it was "a scene we really wanted to get right," explaining that it's just another example of how much "all of the characters feel so fleshed out" with "interesting back stories" that make them seem even more "fully realized" in the film.
"It's so great we learn so much about each of these characters," he added, saying the fact that the characters are not just "two-dimensional" only "makes you invested in them" and "care about them" even more.
Jack Whitehall opens up about playing a gay character in #JungleCruise, teasing a "significant scene in the movie" that was "thought about and talked about a lot" behind the scenes. pic.twitter.com/AL8RjJScsL
— Variety (@Variety) July 26, 2021 @Variety
Whitehall was also asked about the scene by Variety at the premiere over the weekend, saying he wasn't given "any indication" McGregor was gay when he first auditioned for the role. It was only after he got the full script that he learned about the coming out moment.
"I think there's a significant scene in the movie and I think it was a really well written scene and one that we certainly thought about and talked about a lot," he added. "I hope that it's a scene that audiences enjoy and I certainly felt at the time I was proud of the work that we'd done."
When asked why McGregor doesn't explicitly say he's "gay," Whitehall only deflected -- saying the publication would have to ask screenwriter Michael Green the same question.
"Jungle Cruise" hits theaters and Disney+ with Premier Access starting July 30th.
