Johnny Depp Comic-Con surprise brings Scrooge to San Diego
Johnny Depp appeared in full Scrooge costume at Comic-Con to promote Paramount’s Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, due in theaters Nov. 13.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
A Johnny Depp Comic-Con surprise turned San Diego’s Gaslamp district into a slice of Victorian Christmas on Thursday, with the actor stepping out in full Ebenezer Scrooge costume to promote Paramount Pictures’ upcoming film Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol.
Deadline reported that the three-time Oscar nominee emerged from the door of a staged 1880s-style British Christmas village set up by Paramount as part of the film’s Comic-Con activation. The installation included a Scrooge and Marley shopfront, where a crowd had gathered before Depp appeared.
Video posted by Deadline on X showed Depp greeting the crowd in character. When someone called out, “Good day to you, Mr. Scrooge,” Depp answered, “What’s so good about it?”
What is Johnny Depp’s Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol?
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol is a Paramount movie directed by Ti West, with Depp appearing as Scrooge, according to Deadline. The film is scheduled to open in theaters on Nov. 13.
The Comic-Con stunt put the film in front of fans without the usual convention formula of a stage panel, cast chat and footage presentation. Deadline noted that the appearance came after DC’s Jim Lee panel, which included a look at James Watkins’ upcoming movie Clayface.
Has Johnny Depp been to Comic-Con before?
Deadline counted Thursday’s appearance as Depp’s third trip to San Diego Comic-Con. His earlier stops included a 2009 appearance for Disney’s Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland.
He also appeared at the 2018 Warner Bros. presentation for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, where Deadline said he showed up in character as Grindelwald. That same year, Amber Heard later appeared during Warner Bros.’ Aquaman panel, a moment that drew media attention at the time.
Deadline also cited a 2013 interview with Entertainment Weekly in which Depp said he kept his Jack Sparrow costume from Pirates of the Caribbean with him so he could make surprise visits to children’s hospitals.
Depp’s recent public appearances
The Comic-Con stop follows several recent public appearances by Depp tied to film promotion. Deadline reported that he attended Cannes in 2023 for the opening-night film Jeanne du Barry, appeared at the Red Sea Film Festival in 2025 and promoted Ebenezer at CinemaCon in April.
At Cannes in 2023, Deadline asked Depp about past comments he had made to The Sunday Times in 2021 about feeling boycotted by Hollywood. Depp told Deadline then that he did not feel boycotted at that point and said he did not think much about Hollywood.
Thursday’s Scrooge appearance gave Paramount a high-visibility Comic-Con moment for Ebenezer, with Depp leaning into character outside the faux shop as fans watched in downtown San Diego.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.