Jungle Cruise: Disney’s First Gay Main Character (And Coming Out Scene) Explained

Jungle Cruise has Disney’s first gay main character in a movie, as well as a coming out scene. Currently in theaters and streaming with Premier Access on Disney+, Jungle Cruise was inspired by the theme park ride of the same name. The story follows Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and her brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) as they search for the legendary Tears of the Moon. Their journey takes them to the Amazon where they hire riverboat captain Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to guide them through the jungle.

Traditional gender roles for the Houghton siblings appear to be reversed for comedic effect: Lily regularly wears trousers and is not afraid to get her hands dirty, and MacGregor sulks when separated from his material comforts. He enjoys wearing three-piece suits and adhering to proper etiquette. When boarding Jack’s boat, MacGregor tries to bring along countless pieces of luggage with him containing unnecessary items like golf clubs and multiple changes of dress clothes. Yet, the comedic relief that MacGregor’s character adds to the plot is far from his most significant contribution.

Disney proudly advertised the movie as having the studios’ first gay main character, but it is far from perfect. Reviews for Jungle Cruise have been mixed, and even before the film’s release, Whitehall’s casting in the role left many skeptical. However, Jungle Cruise is also undoubtedly a step forward regarding LGBTQ+ representation.

MacGregor Houghton Comes Out As Gay In Jungle Cruise

Near the midway point of the film, MacGregor and Frank relax together in one of the rare moments that Lily is not with them. Frank starts to complain about Lily’s stubbornness and other frustrating qualities until MacGregor shares why he is indebted to her. He explains that she was the only person who stood by him when their family threatened to disinherit him for turning down a third marriage proposal. MacGregor reveals that he will never marry because his “interests lie elsewhere,” a tacit admission of his sexuality and that his interest is not with women. Frank nods at him and they toast “to elsewhere.” Jungle Cruise‘s heartfelt coming out scene adds a welcome layer of complexity to MacGregor’s character as well as illustrating Lily’s devotion to those she loves. The word “gay” is never said, as is expected for a reserved, upper class British man in 1916, but the conversation makes MacGregor’s sexuality clear. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie could have done more.

The revelation about MacGregor is never brought up again, and the only other subtle reference to it undermines the tenderness of the coming out scene. Later, during a scene in which Frank is about to go through a painful process, MacGregor offers for Frank to “bite down on [his] stick,” which Frank quickly declines. The rather tasteless joke, and Frank’s clear discomfort, effectively erases the moment of support the two shared before and it’s compounded by a few more double entendre jokes built around subtle gay panic. MacGregor also does not have any sort of love interest in the film and does not even appear interested in anyone he meets. Comparatively, Blunt and The Rock’s characters in Jungle Cruise, the only two with more screen time than him, develop a romantic relationship. Despite the admitted step forward in LGBTQ+ representation, its small presence in a film with a runtime of over two hours cannot help but feel like an afterthought, which is a recurring trend with Disney’s repeated attempts at representation.

Is It Disney’s First Gay Main Character?

This is not the first time Disney has claimed to have its first LGBTQ+ character. In 2017, the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake claimed to include Disney’s first openly gay character. Near the end of the movie, Gaston’s (Luke Evans) trusty sidekick LeFou (Josh Gad) dances with another man. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, which nevertheless garnered much controversy, was meant to imply Josh Gad’s LeFou is gay, but it’s only ever implied. Even worse, many of the “hints” throughout the film about his sexuality are just stereotypes, such as the large pink bow LeFou wears.

Disney made a similar announcement in 2019 with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in which two minor female characters kiss briefly in the background. Again, this moment is easy to miss. The following year, 2020’s Onward was advertised as containing an LGBTQ+ character, but the person in question just mentions a girlfriend with a quick line that censors can easily edit out.

Although there have been other LGBTQ+ characters, MacGregor is the first gay main character in a Disney movie. He is also the first one with a coming out scene since none of the previously mentioned characters come out or in any way address their sexualities. Disney has always preferred queerbaiting over explicitly confirming anything, and so giving one of the principal characters an entire scene to acknowledge this part of himself sets Jungle Cruise above the rest when it comes to representation. Yet, while the significance of this moment should not be understated, Disney still has plenty of room to improve.

Disney Still Has To Get Better In Regard To LGBTQ+ Representation

Jungle Cruise does not treat MacGregor the same as its straight main characters. The camera always flatters Lily and Frank, granting them multiple intimate moments together that make sure to highlight Lily’s beauty and Frank’s impressive physique. In one scene, MacGregor backs down from threatening Frank once he properly takes in just how much larger Frank is, thanks in part to The Rock’s extensive action film experience.

On the other hand, MacGregor only really exists as comedic relief. His beautiful outfits are hilariously impractical for the hot jungle, and his fear of almost everything makes him more of a hindrance than an asset for much of the movie. To his credit, MacGregor does come into his own by the end, finally shedding the extraneous layers of clothing and growing more comfortable defending himself and his sister. However, for all his talk about being ostracized for who he loves, the only person he ever really shows affection for is Lily. No one ever seems interested in MacGregor, either, aside from a few fleeting bonding moments with Frank.

Lacking a love interest, or any real way to celebrate his sexuality, only furthers the implication that being gay is something disgraceful or wrong. So often, coming out scenes are framed as unveiling a shameful secret, like when Stranger Things’ Robin tearfully rejects Steve and confesses she’s gay (though he easily accepts the fact she is a lesbian). MacGregor’s uncle threatened to disinherit him, and MacGregor does not seem entirely sure whether or not he deserves it. Of course, not all LGBTQ+ characters need to have deep romantic relationships, but many writers who pat themselves on the backs for inclusivity cannot bring themselves to actually show a person’s sexuality on screen. No one bats an eye whenever Lily and Frank kiss in Jungle Cruise, but it would have been unthinkable for MacGregor to kiss anyone. Even worse, keeping his sexuality more or less contained to his one conversation with Frank means that it can be censored for certain audiences.

Jungle Cruise merits praise for having Disney’s first gay main character. Explicitly stating a main character’s sexuality on screen is an important step forward, but until LGBTQ+ characters are no longer used as bait or treated as such a novelty, Disney needs to do better. Audiences deserve LGBTQ+ characters whose backstories are not filled with pain and who can celebrate every aspect of themselves. Although the studio is not there yet, hopefully someday soon it will be.

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