Days after Wizards Beyond Waverly Place aired its series finale, original cast member Jake T. Austin went public with his frustration over being left out of the revival.
"To all the Wizards fans, just wanted to say for the record how disappointed I am to have not been included in the spinoff," Austin wrote on his Instagram Story, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I was asked back in 2020 if I was interested in reprising my role and said that I was 100% in. Unfortunately, the powers that be decided to take the show in a different direction and my character wasn't part of the equation."
Austin, who played Max Russo in the original Disney Channel series alongside Selena Gomez and David Henrie, said his absence was not by choice. He added that despite being excluded, he holds no ill will. "Even though I wasn't involved, I still have nothing but love for my former castmates and wish them continued success. Thank you to all the fans who watched over the years. The show wouldn't be what it is without your endless support."
The original series ran from 2007 to 2012. Both Gomez and Henrie returned for the revival and served as executive producers. Their onscreen parents, David DeLuise and Maria Canals-Barrera, also came back for Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, which debuted in 2024 and ran for three seasons.
Austin's account conflicts with what Henrie told TV Insider in a Wednesday interview. When asked whether Austin had been invited back, Henrie said, "He definitely was. Yeah. He's busy." Henrie added, "He's got a lot going on in his life. We love him and wish him all the best with everything that he's got going on in his life."
In the revival, Austin's character Max is referenced as having turned the family's Waverly Sub Station sandwich shop into a billion-dollar franchise, with Max now living on a yacht.
