Comic-Con audiences expected a surprise, but they may not have expected political humor. Johnny Depp made his return to one of pop culture’s biggest stages Thursday, staying fully in character while slipping in a joke that drew one of the loudest reactions of his appearance. The moment quickly spread online as fans welcomed the actor back to a major U.S. studio project.
Johnny Depp returns to a major fan event with a joke about Donald Trump
Rather than arriving as himself, Depp stepped into Hall H festivities as Ebenezer Scrooge from Ebenezer, Paramount Pictures’ upcoming adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. The presentation transformed part of San Diego Comic-Con into a Victorian-style Christmas setting, with Depp roaming the mock village in full costume.
During the performance, Scrooge yanked decorative garlands from a gate and grumbled that they were “poison” and should be kept away from children. When another performer objected, Depp’s character insisted the decorations were on his property before pivoting into a line that many in attendance interpreted as a jab at President Donald Trump (via The Daily Beast).
He joked that everyone would have to pay taxes simply because the decorations were there, then quipped about “putting tariffs on the gate.” The audience immediately responded with laughter. The joke arrived only days after Trump reignited a trade dispute with Canada by invoking a nearly century-old tariff law to impose 50% duties on a wide range of Canadian imports. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had blocked portions of the administration’s broader tariff policy.
Depp has criticized Trump before, previously calling him a “brat” while promoting Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie in 2016. A year later, he apologized after making controversial remarks about the president during the Glastonbury Festival.
One of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, Depp earned Oscar nominations for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Finding Neverland and Sweeney Todd. His career also includes acclaimed performances in Edward Scissorhands, Donnie Brasco, Sleepy Hollow and Black Mass.
