Here’s how Wizards Beyond Waverly Place signs out the original cast

Nothing is as it seems – even when it comes to what the original “Wizards of Waverly Place” characters are up to in the sequel series. Some of those updates are quite surprising.

“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” which premiered Tuesday night on Disney Channel and will stream its first nine episodes on Disney+ Wednesday, centers on a now-adult Justin Russo (David Henrie), who lives a non-magical life — well, . , more about that soon – with his wife and children.

When Alex (Selena Gomez) shows up with a new young wizard in need of help, Justin must make a choice to help protect the entire wizarding world.

Yes, we see Justin and his sister reunited in the first episode, and their future may be exactly what you predicted – or it may not be.

According to star David Henrie, “it was very easy” for him and Selena Gomez to decide where everyone ended up because they had been talking about it casually for years. What was most important to them was making sure that the stories for everyone – especially the show’s guest stars – actually had weight and depth.

“I don’t want it to just be an obligatory text of, ‘Hey, here’s so-and-so,’ and then they jump right out,” Henrie told TheWrap. “I want them to contribute. I want it to be meaningful so that the original fans feel like we really took their love for these characters seriously, because we take it seriously.

So this is what the original characters are up to.

Justin Russo (David Henrie)

Justin became the youngest director of Wiz Tech, but unfortunately he was fired due to something mysteriously called the “unicorn incident.” After his discharge, he stopped teaching young wizards and lives a life without magic with his wife and two sons.

But when Alex brings Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) to his house and begs him to tutor her, Justin is reluctantly eager to delve back into the world of magic. We say reluctantly because apparently the fate of the wizarding community is in Billie’s hands/future.

No pressure.

Alex Russo (Selena Gomez)

After becoming the family wizard, Alex Russo became part of the Wizarding Tribunal, much to the horror of her older brother.

If you don’t know what exactly the Wizarding Tribunal is, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The tribunal is responsible for dealing with crimes against Wizarding Law; Basically, they’re wizard law enforcement officers. So yeah, there’s quite a bit of irony in the fact that Alex is growing up enforce lines.

Max Russo (Jake T. Austin)

We don’t actually see Max in the first episode of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” but we do get an update on where the youngest sibling is in life. Apparently yes terribly rich. Max now owns his family’s sandwich chain and is a smart businessman.

“I like the idea of ​​putting Max on his head, of what you expect,” Henrie told TheWrap. “He’s now like a billionaire, multi-billionaire, who lives on a yacht and has franchised the sub shop. It was fun.”

Jerry and Theresa Russo (David DeLuise and Maria Canals-Barrera)

The Russo parents also don’t appear in the first two episodes of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” so we don’t officially know what they’re up to since Max took over the restaurant chain. But chances are: we will find out. David DeLuise will guest star in a later episode.

Of course, “Wizards of Waverly Place” featured more beloved characters than just the Russo family. We’ll keep you posted on where everything else ends up, if/when they’re mentioned.

The first nine episodes of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” will debut on Disney+ on October 30.