Disney's Hexed controversy isn't going anywhere after its big D23 character reveal

Some people really don't want to give Disney's Hexed a break. First there were the complaints when the Hexed character designs turned out not to look like the concept art, and the main character changed from a boy to a girl. That fed more allegations of Disney same-face syndrome.

Then there was the great Hexed vertical orientation conspiracy theory that suggested the movie had been framed to looked good on TikTok (and this was even before Disney even announced plans to bring TikTok to Disney+). Throughout it all, there's the injustice perceived by fans of The Owl House, an animated series that Disney cut short but which some think inspired Hexed.

The character reveals at the D23 fan convention don't seem to have done anything to win over the doubters (make sure you don't miss the news from D23 about Pixar's Ghost Market and Disney's Oswald too).

Disney revealed that alongside Hailee Steinfeld as teen outsider Billie Doe and Rashida Jones as her mum Alice Walton, the animated movie will star Walton Goggins as a three-eyed cat called Beef Roger Crummchuk and Jodie Foster as key villain Queen Celeste (above).

Concept art was also revealed, which appears to show three witches: one with purple hair and two with pink hair. That means that now as well as the wrath of The Owl House fans, who immediately see the Blights as an influence, there are also people suggesting the characters are inspired by Trix, the trio of witch antagonists in the Winx Club series, or even The Dazzlings, a musical group in My Little Pony Equestria Girls.

When asked about it at D23, Disney chief creative officer Jared Bush denied that The Owl House had inspired Hexed. "Good question, but Hexed is not inspired by The Owl House. We love witches. Tomorrow you will see we have a unique take on the world of witches," he said.

The movie's directors, Josie Trinidad, who was head of story on Ralph Breaks the Internet and Zootopia, and Jason Hand, co-director of Moana 2 head of story on Encanto, have said that Billie from Hexed is a very different heroine from the likes of Moana or Mirabel, with a sharp and more dangerous personality. They've also revealed that although the film will feature lots of music, it won't be a traditional Disney musical.

It's understandable that fans would still be annoyed over The Owl House. The first Disney IP to feature a same-sex kiss between leading characters, the series was was a breath of fresh air. It was acclaimed by critics, juries and critics alike, but creator Dana Terrace said the third season been cut short in 2023 because it "did not fit the Disney brand".

Nevertheless, trios of witches are a trope going back much further than The Owl House, to Shakespeare’s Macbeth or even the Greek Fates. Disney plays heavily with archetypes, but so do all storytellers. It's the new spin they put on them that matters.

Hexed will be released on 25 November.