Disney is facing intense criticism for introducing a new cartoon superhero named “Captain Durag” on its Disney Jr. show “Hey AJ!
The character, who debuted in the middle of Black History Month, has been slammed by leftists as tone-deaf, stereotypical, and disrespectful to black culture.
Captain Durag is depicted as a black superhero fighting “grime” in Slime City, with his durag serving as both his cape and a mask that covers the upper part of his face.
The concept of Captain Durag is wildly tone deaf. A black superhero with a durag as both his cape and mask, with a literal snow bunny as his sidekick, that is more of a garbage man than a superhero… pic.twitter.com/Dk1SSH1nC3
— Black Culture Is Pop Culture (@BCisPC) February 18, 2026
Critics argue this portrayal reduces black identity to a caricature, sparking outrage on social media where users called it an “abomination” and questioned Disney’s judgment.
One X user complained, “They made a ‘Captain Durag’ in 2026 what the f–ck Disney,” while another labeled it “wildly tone deaf.”
The backlash has been particularly strong from within the black community.
BREAKING: Disney is under massive backlash from the Black community for launching a children’s tv show featuring a new superhero created by Disney Jr. called Captain Durag who can be seen flying around the with Durag covering his face as a mask.
Many Black Americans feel… pic.twitter.com/PEFK7hLMjQ
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) February 16, 2026
Captain Durag is low-key diabolical on black history month https://t.co/TcJ2cUgKhm
— I know u are but what am i? (@Only1ThxtHobbit) February 17, 2026
In response to the uproar, Disney reportedly removed several “Captain Durag” clips from its YouTube channel, though the company has issued no official statement on the character’s future.
Despite the criticism, the character’s creator, 28-year-old Jamaican-American artist and comedian Camille Corbett, defended her creation.
In an X post, Corbett stated, “I created the character Durag Man, now known as Captain Durag on the Disney Show, Hey AJ and I’m just finding out people are finding it problematic? I just wanted our culture to have a superhero of its own!”
I created the character Durag Man, now known as Captain Durag on the Disney Show, Hey AJ and I’m just finding out people are finding it problematic? I just wanted our culture to have a superhero of its own! pic.twitter.com/0Klh7soTPG
— Camille Corbett (@TheWittyGirl) February 16, 2026
Corbett further told The New York Post that “as a scholar,” she’d “never speak on anything I’ve never experienced,” and encouraged viewers to watch the show.
“Hey AJ!” creator Martellus Bennett also pushed back against the detractors on Instagram, writing, “If that offends you, maybe the problem isn’t the durag. Maybe the problem is that you’ve never seen black imagination treated as sacred, heroic and worthy of a cape.”
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Bennett described the character as a reflection of black life.
Disney has faced criticism from the right for years over its pandering to woke leftists, and it still hasn’t saved them from the mob’s wrath.
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