Wizards of Waverly Place's Jake T. Austin Breaks Silence on Revival Absence
Wizards of Waverly Place star Jake T. Austin broke his silence after his character was missing from the show’s revival, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
“To all the Wizard fans, just wanted to say for the record how disappointed I am to have not been included in the spinoff,” Austin, 31, wrote via Instagram Story on Thursday, August 6.
Austin, who played Max on the original series, recalled being “asked back in 2020” if he was interested in reprising his role. “I said that I was 100 percent in,” he added. “Unfortunately, the powers that be decided to take the show in a different direction and my character wasn’t part of the equation.”
He continued: “Even though I wasn’t involved, I still have nothing but love for my former castmates and wish them continued success.”
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Wizards of Waverly Place, which aired from 2007 to 2012, followed three siblings — Justin (David Henrie), Alex (Selena Gomez) and Max — who inherited magical abilities from their family. Wizards Beyond Waverly Place later debuted on Disney+, concluding its three-season run earlier this month and leaving fans divided.
Austin was not the only OG cast member to speak out after not being included in the new series. David DeLuise, who played patriarch Jerry, commented on an Instagram post on Wednesday, August 5, writing, “It would not be over if the OG wizards were really there. Missed opportunity.”
The four-part series finale saw the return of Gomez, 34, Jennifer Stone, Gregg Sulkin and Maria Canals-Barrera. Henrie, 37, was also involved after starring in — and producing — the follow-up show.
Creator Todd J. Greenwald also weighed in when he addressed the backlash to the finale.
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“I will undo the entire ‘Beyond’ canon in one simple chapter,” he wrote via Substack. “By simply ignoring it. ‘It was all Max’s dreammmmm.’ Fixed. Moving on.”
Greenwald elaborated on the strong reaction to the show’s conclusion.
“I would also like to make it clear. The actors on the new show are amazing. They’re amazing kids. They have amazing families and they’ve got great futures ahead,” he continued. “It is a blessing that they had this experience and can still be kids and have a great memory to look back on. I would work with any of them any day.”
He concluded: “This is the sixth tween show I’ve written on and I’ve seen how it affects the kids in different ways. Learning as you go and finding your voice in front of so many people is challenging enough in itself, let alone having to portray a character you know nothing about.”
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is streaming now on Disney+.
from Us Weekly https://ift.tt/GvmqFdu
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