Disney has released the first trailer for its upcoming animated film Hexed. The first look reveals Billie Doe, a young girl who feels out of place. She later discovers that she possesses magical powers and is transported to the world of Hexe, where she begins learning about herself and her destiny.
However, the Hexed trailer also highlights a trend that has become increasingly common across Disney’s various brands.
Hexed Teaser Trailer – Walt Disney Animation Studios, YouTube
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Once again, Disney is telling a story centered on witches.
Disney Introduces Its New Witch Hero
The film stars Hailee Steinfeld and is framed as a blend of coming-of-age storytelling and fantasy adventure. In the opening scene of the Hexed trailer, Billie Doe is shown walking through the hallways of her school.
Hexed Teaser Trailer – Walt Disney Animation Studios, YouTube
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“My whole life I felt like there was something wrong with me,” she narrates as her classmates give her odd looks. She is later revealed to have purple hair, combat boots, and a perpetually surly expression.
While hiding in a bathroom stall, Billie Doe’s fingers begin throwing sparks and she discovers that she has telekinetic powers. The resulting mayhem gets her expelled from school.
Hexed Teaser Trailer – Walt Disney Animation Studios, YouTube
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Billie Doe is next seen in her room experimenting with her magical abilities. Suddenly, she is pulled through a portal, where she encounters a talking book and quill.
“Welcome to Hexe,” the book says. “The world of witches.”
Familiar Tropes Draw Criticism
Many of the reactions online to the Hexed trailer have been critical. Some users have compared it to Owl House, an animated series that ran on Disney for three seasons and relied on many of the same magical misfit tropes. Others suggest it comes across as an Americanized version of Harry Potter, featuring a female protagonist and a greater emphasis on witches.
Hexed Teaser Trailer – Walt Disney Animation Studios, YouTube
Others argue that Hexed is simply recycling ideas Disney has used many times before.
Disney really found a formula that works and never let it go.
— Jay Naidu (@JayNaiduX) June 16, 2026
One user wrote, “Disney’s HEXED already looks like every other ‘girl discovers magic and saves the colorful realm’ movie they’ve made in the last 10 years. Originality is officially dead over there.”
Disney’s HEXED already looks like every other “girl discovers magic and saves the colorful realm” movie they’ve made in the last 10 years. Originality is officially dead over there.
— Özge Evran (@OzgeEvran_) June 16, 2026
“So quirky girl get magic powers and goes on a journey to discover herself? Sounds unique and never done before,” another sarcastically added.
So quirky girl get magic powers and goes on a journey to discover herself? Sounds unique and never done before
— Pierce (@piercehh100) June 16, 2026
However, it’s more than just the familiar story that is raising eyebrows.
Disney’s Growing Fascination With Witches
In recent years, Disney has released two high-profile projects that focused heavily on witches. The Hexed trailer suggests that trend is not going away anytime soon. It’s a recurring theme that has not gone unnoticed online.
Disney stop promoting evil as good
— Neville Hiatt (@NevilleHiatt) June 16, 2026
2024’s The Acolyte introduced a coven of Force-using witches led by a same-sex couple. The episodes sparked heated debate among Star Wars fans and coincided with declining audience scores and viewership for the series.
Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness – ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
That same year, Disney+ emphasized witches in the MCU with Agatha All Along. The WandaVision spin-off focused on the witch Agatha Harkness, who assembled a coven to walk the Witches’ Road in hopes of restoring her powers. The series also explored themes involving nontraditional family structures. Ultimately, it failed to capture a large audience, with viewership reportedly falling below The Acolyte.
Taken as a whole, Disney’s continued reliance on witches as a storytelling device has become difficult to ignore.
Another Overused Message?
Finally, the film may face another challenge.
The Hexed trailer ends with Billie Doe saying, “Maybe there’s nothing wrong with me at all. Maybe, I’m meant for something more.”
Hexed Teaser Trailer – Walt Disney Animation Studios, YouTube
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Some users online argued that this message has become another overused trope in modern storytelling. To critics, it suggests a protagonist who does not need to grow or change, but instead lives in a world that simply fails to recognize how special she already is.
Let me guess. She was perfect all along, she just had to realize the potential of her own power, and she learns nothing, takes no responsibility, and has no room for improvement.
— Brad Horton (@Ragnar_Drayke) June 16, 2026
Whether those concerns prove justified remains to be seen until audiences see the full film this November. For now, however, Hexed has already sparked a familiar conversation. Between its witch-centric premise and its reliance on well-worn fantasy tropes, Disney’s latest animated project is generating more skepticism than optimism.
Are you interested in seeing Hexed? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
