According to People, actors David Henrie and Selena Gomez will be appearing in the follow-up to the well-liked comedy “Wizards of Waverly Place.” The actors, who played brothers in the first Disney Channel series, have confirmed that they will be working together again on the follow-up. Henrie,34, will portray Justin Russo as a series regular, while Gomez,31, will return to the role of Alex Russo in the pilot. Following “a mysterious incident at WizTech, where an adult Justin Russo has left his wizard powers behind, opting for a normal, human life with his wife and two sons,” the sequel will follow the fallout. An official synopsis states, “But he gets a surprise when a strong young wizard in need of training shows up at his door… and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World.”
In the upcoming Disney Channel series, Janice LeAnn Brown will portray Billie, a strong young wizard in need of guidance. Justin’s oldest child, Roman, will be portrayed by Alkaio Thiele, while Giada, his wife, will be portrayed by Mimi Gianopulos. Disney Channel posted a picture of the pilot script with a series wand on Instagram to hint at the surprise. Under “Waverly Place,” the caption said. In response, Henrie said in the comment area, “We’ve grown, but get ready for the Russo’s to become a part of your family once again! The year returns in 2024 ;)”
Gomez also reacted to the news on social media, reposting the Deadline story, writing that she was “so excited” alongside a heart emoji. She then shared a throwback photo of her and Henrie from the Wizards of Waverly Place set with the caption, “We’re back.” Gomez and Henrie will also serve as executive producers for the series, which already served a pilot order from Disney Branded Television, Deadline reports. David Deluise, who played Henrie and Gomez’s onscreen dad, commented on Henrie’s post announcing the new show, “Reboot ?” The comment sparked concern among fans who worried he wasn’t involved in the project.
In response to a fan’s remark, Henrie quickly allayed fans’ concerns by saying, “We definitely plan on bringing back the original cast for the series order.” Gomez and Henrie were three wizard brothers whose parents owned a sandwich restaurant in New York City on Wizards of Waverly Place, costarring with Jake T. Austin. According to People, the 2007–2008 Disney Channel series gave rise to Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009) and the 2013 stand-alone special ‘The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex’.
