Fans are fuming over the casting of Disney's first openly gay character.
Jack Whitehall has been cast as an openly gay man in the upcoming film, 'Jungle Cruise.' His character has been described by The Sun as a ''fun, effete young man.''
The British comedian announced the news in a video he shared to Instagram of his co-star, Dwayne Johnson, expressing his love towards the project.
A post shared by Jack Whitehall (@jackwhitehall) on
Many Twitter users have taken offense to the fact that Disney have cast a straight man as a gay character while others feel that Whitehall will be ''perpetuating stereotypes'' in the new role.
Really @Disney #JungleCruise ? Your first significant gay role will be played by a straight white man perpetuating stereotypes? Fail! This ship should sink. https://t.co/npPESNZaxD
— Omar Sharif Jr. (@OmarSharifJr) 13 August 2018
If Scarlett Johansson wasn’t allowed to play a trans man then Jack Whitehall shouldn’t be allowed to play a gay man. Especially so when you consider there are absolute hundreds of out gay men in Hollywood who are better actors than him
— Sophie WilkINson (@sophwilkinson) 13 August 2018
If you’re one of the people who ‘doesn’t see the big deal’ RE Jack Whitehall, a straight white male cast as the first openly gay Disney character then you’re part of the problem ðŸ’ðŸ¼â™€ï¸
— B!tÄH (@ClionaLou) 13 August 2018
While others belive it's no different to the likes of Neil Patrick Harris playing the role of a straight man in 'How I Met Your Mother.'
If Jack Whitehall playing a gay character is problematic, then so is Neil Patrick Harris playing the straightest character I've ever seen on a TV show, or Jim Parsons playing THE STRAIGHT Sheldon Cooper, or the cast of Black Panther because they're American not African
— Snap: BrandonHappened (@NotBrandonLee) 13 August 2018