Johnny Depp made a series of surprise appearances at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 23, 2026, appearing in full costume to promote his upcoming film Variety. The actor, a three-time Oscar nominee, portrayed the Charles Dickens character Ebenezer Scrooge as part of a promotional campaign for the Ti West-directed movie.
Guerrilla Marketing and a Faux Victorian Village
As part of a stunt by David Ellison-owned Paramount Pictures, a faux 1880s British Christmas village was constructed in San Diego’s Gaslamp district. According to Deadline, Depp emerged from the installation to address a crowd that had been gathering for over an hour. During the appearance, Depp stayed in character as the Christmas grouch,
ripping garlands from a gate and claiming they were “poison” and must be kept away from children.
While interacting with the crowd, Depp made a reference to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. After declaring that he owned the property, Depp stated, And you’re paying tax on it being there, ’cause everybody has to pay all that stuff. Putting tariffs on the gate,
according to The Daily Beast. The joke follows a history of Depp calling the president a “brat” in 2016 and apologizing in 2017 for a joke about assassinating a president.
Panel Crash and Trailer Debut
In addition to the street installation, Depp crashed an unrelated panel hosted by Collider titled Directors on Directing,
which featured Zach Cregger and filmmakers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. After the lights went out and the screen displayed Johnny Depp is Ebenezer,
Depp entered the stage wearing a top hat and carrying a cane and candle, according to USA Today.
A Dark Reimagining of a Classic
Directed by Ti West—known for horror films such as Pearl and MaXXXine—Ebenezer is described as a dark reimagining of the Dickens classic. West previously told a CinemaCon crowd that his early exposure to A Christmas Carol adaptations served as some of his first glimpses into the horror genre, according to Variety.
The film’s cast includes:
- Andrea Riseborough
- Ian McKellen
- Rupert Grint
- Daisy Ridley
- Tramell Tillman
- Sam Claflin
- Charlie Murphy
- Arthur Conti
- Ellie Bamber
The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 13.
Career Comeback and Legal Context
Ebenezer marks Depp’s first major American studio film since his 2022 defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. During that legal battle, both parties accused each other of domestic abuse. A jury found that Heard defamed Depp in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed; Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory and $5 million in punitive damages, while Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages, Variety reported.
This appearance marks Depp’s third time at San Diego Comic-Con, following appearances in 2009 for Alice in Wonderland and in 2018 for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. While Depp was previously replaced by Mads Mikkelsen in the third Fantastic Beasts film, his career has seen a resurgence with international projects like Jeanne du Barry and Minamata, as well as his direction of Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness. He is also cast in Lionsgate’s upcoming action-thriller Day Drinker alongside Penélope Cruz and Madelyn Cline.
Worth a look
