The question of whether Jake T. Austin would reprise his role of Max Russo, the youngest sibling in the Russo family in the Wizards of Waverly Place revival, titled Wizards Beyond Waverly Place was very much at the forefront as soon as the new show was announced. Austin, after all, was an integral part of what made the original show. So, when the first two episodes aired on Disney Channel, that was one of the first things people were keeping an eye out for.
And the answer came pretty fast, though not definitively. Austin was not present in the first two episodes of the show, titled “Everything is Not What It Seems” and “Mortal Vibes Only.” Two more episodes are set to be released on October 30, titled “Saved by the Spell” and “Something Wizard This Way Comes,” and the first season of the show is set to have ten episodes in total, so the fact that Max Russo wasn’t present in the first two episodes doesn’t mean we won’t ever see him.
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The first episode of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place does, after all, bring back not just David Henrie (Justin Russo), but also Selena Gomez (Alex Russo). But the show is clearly setting up a new story, one that doesn’t have to rely on the nostalgia for the characters we once knew.
However, that doesn’t mean we’d say no to a little nostalgia. So, why isn’t Jake T. Austin in the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiere? And can we expect to see Max Russo back?
Why isn’t Jake T. Austin in the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiere?
You can rest easy because when the show was announced, Jake T. Austin confirmed he would be returning for the upcoming Disney series alongside David Henrie and Selena Gomez. So, despite the fact that Austin isn’t in the show’s first two episodes – and that the narrative informs us he’s now very rich – we will likely see him at some point in the season. For now, he seems to be missing only for storytelling reasons.
In January, Austin shared Henrie’s post with the announcement of their on-screen parents, David DeLuise (Jerry Russo) and Maria Canals-Barrera (Theresa Russo), return to the series, with the words “Wow! Am looking forward to getting together with my wizards family.” That’s pretty much a confirmation, though he didn’t indicate time.
For now, Max has been mentioned in the show, so it feels like his appearance is just a matter of time. The new show follows Justin as he tries to live a normal, non-magical life with his wife Giada (Mimi Gianopulos) and son Roman (Alkaio Thiele). But things will soon change for Justin, who will find himself back in the magical world helping a young wizard (Janice LeAnn Brown) save the Wizarding World.
After his time in Wizards of Waverly Place, Austin appeared in the ABC Family drama The Fosters for two seasons. After his departure, his role was recast with Noah Centineo. Austin also provided the voice for both Jaime Reyes and Blue Beetle in the DC Comics animated 2016 film Justice League vs. Teen Titans and competed on Dancing With the Stars in that same year.