Wizards of Waverly Place is coming back! A look at the wild cast transformations 17 years on

Guys, stay calm but Wizards of Waverly Place is coming back with a reboot and I cannot wait to relive my childhood all over again.

Yesterday it was announced that a reboot starring both Selena Gomez as Alex Russo and David Henrie as her brother Justin reprising their roles.

The new series will reportedly pick up after a mysterious incident at WizTech, where adult Justin Russo has neglected his wizard powers to pursue a normal, human life with his wife and two sons.

However, he is drawn back into the world of magic when a young wizard turns up at his door wanting training and Justin realises he must embrace his past to secure the future of the Wizard World. Wow, deep.

Selena Gomez will appear in the first episode of the reboot and David Henrie will star in the full series. But the cast has also promised that other familiar faces from the old cast will also return. But 17 years after the show first aired, what does the Russo family look like now?

This is what the cast of Wizards of Waverly Place looked like when the show started in 2007 compared to now:

Alex Russo – Selena Gomez

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

Obviously insanely famous now, Wizards of Waverly Place was one of the first jobs that really launched Selena Gomez’ career. Now 31, Selena was only 14 when the show first started and 19 by the time it finished.

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She’s recently been the hot topic of awards season after she was seen gossiping to Taylor Swift about Kylie Jenner not letting her take a picture with Timothée Chalamet at the Golden Globes. She’s also become known to dramatically announce she’s quitting Instagram at every single minor inconvenience only to return six hours later.

Justin Russo – David Henrie

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

David Henrie played Alex’s annoying older brother in the show. He was 17 when the show began and is now 34. I swear this man is actually magic though because he has not aged one BIT.

He carried on acting and even co-wrote and directed his own teen drama This is The Year. He is also set to play former president Ronald Reagan in a biopic about him.

Yesterday he posted a picture of the new script for the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot with the caption: “The Russo’s are excited to become a part of your family, once again, but we’ve grown. 2024, the year magic comes back!”

David married his girlfriend Maria Cahill in 2017 and now has three kids with her. His Insta is absolutely FULL of real wholesome family pics.

Max Russo – Jake T. Austin

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

Okay but, Max has to have had the best glow up out of the entire cast. Jake T. Austin was the youngest cast member, only 12 when the show began. Now 29 he posts a lot of thirst traps on his Insta and is still acting.

After Wizards of Waverly Place, he went on to star in the iconic film Hotel for Dogs with Emma Roberts. He also did a bit of voice acting in none other than The Emoji Movie in 2017.

Writing this is also how I learned that Maje T. Austin was the voice of Diago in Dora the Explorer before he was on Wizards of Waverly Place?? Wild.

Harper Finkle – Jennifer Stone

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

Our queen Harper!! This pen dress honestly lives so rent-free because of how much I wanted it as a kid. Get this girlie at the Met Gala!

Alex’s best friend Harper was played by Jennifer Stone who is now 30. After Wizards of Waverly Place ended, Jennifer went on to study psychology. In 2013, she was diagnosed with Type one Diabetes and she changed her career to nursing. She now works in the ER at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.

Last year she reunited with David DeLuise who played Jerry Russo and they started a podcast called the Wizards of Waverly pod where they watch back old episodes, share behind-the-scenes secrets and interview cast members. Selena Gomez went on the podcast last year and said her “biggest mistake” was not keeping in touch with the cast of Wizards of Waverly Place.

Theresa Russo – Maria Canals-Barrera

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

Theresa Russo is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best TV mums of all time And let’s be honest with ourselves, a bit of a MILF. Maria stared in another Disney CLASSIC Camp Rock after Wizards where she played the mum of Demi Lovato.

Maria has been married since 1999 to David Barrera and they have two kids, Bridgert and Madeleine together. Maria often posts pics of her daughters on her Instagram, always hyping them up and honestly that’s just what Theresa would do if she had Insta.

Jerry Russo – David DeLuise

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

David DeLuise played Jerry Russo, the dad of Alex, Justin and Max. After the show he carried on acting and even guest starred on shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Shameless and This is Us.

David is currently married to Julia Stoepel and has two kids, Riley and Dylan from a separate marriage. He currently co-hosts the Wizards of Waverly Pod with Jennifer Stone and his Insta is mostly full of promo for the podcast and pictures of his adorable dog.

Zeke – Daniel Benson

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

Um, not sure where to start on this one but Daniel Benson is actually a porn star now and also does OnlyFans. His Insta is just full of half-naked pics and also has a link to his OnlyFans in his bio.

After the news was announced about the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot yesterday he posted a video saying: “Are you kidding me? Today they just announced that they’re bringing back Wizards of Waverly Place in a sequel. I mean yo that’s hype but oh boy what have I done? I waited like 13 years just waiting around now okay here were go let’s fire it up as soon as Dan becomes a porn star let’s reboot Wizards again! You guys suck.

“I’m just kidding but what are they gonna do with Zeke’s character will they just act like he doesn’t exist? Do they recast him? Oh my god is there gonna be someone else playing him? No!” Kinda iconic tbh.

Mason Greyback – Gregg Sulkin

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

Omg, remember this werewolf guy? And his terrible English accent?? Greg Sulkin played Alex’s werewolf boyfriend and honestly the way he looked as a werewolf still has me scarred. After Wizards he starred in Marvel’s Runaways and even Pretty Little Liars.

Now 31, Gregg still acts and has over 7.2 million followers on Insta. He ‘s currently dating another actress Michelle Randolph.

Juliet Van Heusen – Bridgit Mendler

Via Disney Plus and Instagram

Not gonna lie had kind of blocked Bridgit Mendler being in Wizards of Waverly place out of my memory. She played Justin’s vampire girlfriend who slept in a coffin before going on to play Teddy Duncan in Good Luck Charlie from 2010 to 2014 and the Disney Film Lemonade Mouth.

She then kickstarted her music career with her debut album Hello My Name Is with the absolute BANGER Ready or Not. Her Insta is all very 2014 artsy vibe with the filters and she doesn’t post very often. She’s currently getting her PhD after finishing her master’s at MIT. Academic queen!

 Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Selena Gomez casually had the biggest glow up ever, here are her looks through the years

• 15 years on, what are the stars of Wizards of Waverly Place up to now?

• A comprehensive list of the worst outfits Disney Channel characters have worn

Featured image via Instagram and Disney Plus.