David Henrie Responds to Jake T. Austin’s Claims About Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

Jake T. Austin’s absence from Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has ignited a public exchange between the former Disney Channel star and the revival’s creators.

Austin recently expressed his disappointment over Max Russo not being included in the new series, claiming he was eager to return. However, David Henrie and showrunner Scott Thomas are now countering that narrative, stating that Austin was contacted multiple times regarding his participation in the revival.

Austin portrayed Max, the younger brother of Justin Russo, played by Henrie, and Alex Russo, played by Selena Gomez, throughout the original Wizards of Waverly Place. He was featured in all four seasons of the Disney Channel series, along with the 2009 television movie and the 2012 special The Wizards Return.

While Henrie reprised his role as Justin for Wizards Beyond Waverly Place and Gomez made several guest appearances as Alex, Austin did not appear in the revival.

After the release of the final four episodes of the new series on Disney+, Austin took to Instagram Stories to address his absence, expressing disappointment over not being included and claiming he had been informed about the possibility of returning.

“To all the Wizard fans, just wanted to say for the record how disappointed I am to have not been included in the spinoff,” Austin wrote.

According to Austin, he was approached about reprising Max in 2020 and was fully on board. He stated that the series ultimately took a different direction.

“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.”

Despite his absence, Austin expressed his support for his former castmates. “Even though I wasn’t involved, I still have nothing but love for my former castmates and wish them continued success.”

Henrie provided a different perspective shortly after. In an Instagram Stories post, he mentioned that he would have liked to see Austin return as Max but claimed that Austin did not accept the offers extended to him.

“I woulda loved to have Max back but sadly he didn’t accept our numerous offers to join the new show,” Henrie wrote, adding that the team reached out through various means.

“We called him, texted, went through agents etc. I would have loved for this new generation of millions of kids to get to meet Max, but I respect his decision and wish him all the best!”

Scott Thomas, one of the showrunners of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, also backed Henrie’s account, confirming on X that Austin had been approached multiple times.

“I’m one of the Wizards showrunners so I can confirm that David Henrie is correct,” Thomas wrote. “Jake was asked multiple times by many people. Really wanted him back. No response.”

These statements from Henrie and Thomas contradict Austin’s assertion that the revival proceeded without his character after he expressed interest in returning.

Currently, neither party seems willing to relent. Entertainment Weekly has reported that it reached out to Austin’s representatives for comment, but no response was provided.

Regardless of the behind-the-scenes dynamics, Max remains one of the most beloved characters from the original series. His absence has become a significant topic among longtime fans, especially now that the revival has officially concluded.

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