During Black History Month, Disney Jr.’s preschool series Hey A.J.! introduced a new superhero character named Captain Durag, prompting debate online over the character’s design and cultural symbolism. Now the character is drawing criticism from some commentators who call it “extremely disrespectful.”
🔥🚨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
The conversation surrounding the character ranges from whether or not his look is a cultural misstep, to what role identity should play when creating a new character.
Captain Durag’s Origin
Hey A.J.! is based on a series of books by Martellus Bennett, a former NFL player who published his first children’s book in 2016. When Disney+ announced the animated series, it described it as a “whimsical and music-filled family comedy about an imaginative young girl who, along with her stuffed bunny sidekick, uses her big imagination to make ordinary life moments extraordinary.”
A.J. and Durag – Disney Jr., YouTube
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Episode eight introduces Captain Durag—who is not in the books— as a “grime-fighting” superhero from A.J.’s imagination. He battles trash monsters and encourages good habits like keeping a clean room. However, Captain Durag’s defining characteristic is his gray durag, a tight-fitting hair covering commonly worn to protect hairstyles, and for some, a symbol of cultural identity. His durag forms both his cape and his mask, to go with a traditional purple superhero costume.
While the life lessons Captain Durag presents are wholesome, many find his design offensive—and Disney is again facing debate over its creative choices.
Critics Speak Out
YouTube commentator Derek Anderson asked in a video, “Why would you call somebody Captain Durag and play it to all of the black stereotypes and let everybody just absolutely clown this stuff?”
Comic book creator Eric July suggested that many creators hyper-emphasize certain cultural aspects, making them the defining traits of the character. When that happens, he said the result isn’t heroes who happen to be black, but are black heroes. “It all has to signal culture,” he said. “This happens because a lot of these creators aren’t making material to entertain audiences. They’re making material to impress their peers or ideological allies.”
Captain Durag and the Black Character | This Take May Surprise You https://t.co/6THR8wck5t
— Eric July (@EricDJuly) February 18, 2026
July said he doesn’t know if that was the case with Captain Durag. However, he suggested that it represents a larger problem in the creative space, where characters are not made interesting and relatable through conflicts, but rather designed around an identity.
Creators Respond while Disney Remains Silent
Camille Corbett, who created Captain Durag for Hey A.J.!, responded to the criticism, telling the New York Post, “Watch the show.” The Jamaican-American artist and comedian added, “As a scholar, I’d never speak on anything I’ve never experienced.”
Durag in Hey A.J.! – Disney Jr., YouTube
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In a lengthy Instagram post, Bennett, using his artistic alias MR TOMONOSHi, wrote that “Captain Durag is about empowering the ordinary objects in Black life, like a durag.” He noted that the character is designed to look like A.J.’s father, and asked, “What is so wrong with letting the durag be the source of a superpower when it has been the source of confidence and transformation for generations?”
Durag in Hey A.J.! – Disney Jr., YouTube
Disney reportedly removed clips from the show that featured Captain Durag from its YouTube page. Whether that was routine content management or a quiet response to an unfavorable reaction is unknown. However, it was a move that prompted additional questions from some viewers.
Whether Captain Durag gets his own spin-off series or if he is ultimately forgotten remains an open question. For now, the debate reflects broader questions about representation and character design in children’s media.
What do you think of Captain Durag? Let us know in the comments!
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