Disney slammed for ‘tone-deaf’ new character

Disney’s new animated character is sparking a social media wildfire and it feels like the latest pop culture moment everyone’s talking about. The character at the center of the storm is a superhero introduced in the Disney Jr. series Hey A.J! who sports a durag as a cape and mask. The idea was to bring a bold new hero into the lineup but fans online have been left baffled and in some cases outraged by the execution.

What began as a creative attempt to celebrate Black culture quickly became a lightning rod for criticism. Viewers took to platforms like X to call the character “tone deaf,” arguing that using a durag as the primary visual hook missed the mark and leaned into stereotype rather than fun or meaningful representation. The reaction has been equal parts disbelief and mockery, with many commenters wondering how a major kids network got it so wrong.

Captain Durag has been slammed by critics as offensive. Picture: Disney Jr

Behind the scenes creators have defended the design, saying they wanted to give kids a hero who reflects parts of Black life in an unfiltered way. Despite those intentions, the debate has blown up into a much larger conversation about Disney’s approach to diversity and how brands navigate culturally sensitive territory in animation. Online chatter shows this isn’t just about one character but a snapshot of how audiences today engage with big media moments and call things out in real time. 

In the era of social feeds and viral takes, even a kid’s show can ignite splashy cultural debates, and this newest Disney controversy is proving that no character transformation goes unnoticed anymore.