Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is an American comedy television series developed by Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, serving as a spinoff and sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place. It premiered on October 29, 2024, on Disney Channel. Based on characters created by Todd J. Greenwald, the series stars Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora, Mimi Gianopulos, and David Henrie. Elinoff, Thomas, Selena Gomez, Henrie, and recurring director Andy Fickman executive produce the series alongside Gary Marsh and Jonas Agin.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
Genre	Comedy[1]
Created by	Todd J. Greenwald[2]
Based on	Wizards of Waverly Place by Todd J. Greenwald
Developed by	Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas[2]
Starring	Janice LeAnn Brown Alkaio Thiele Max Matenko Taylor Cora Mimi Gianopulos David Henrie
Theme music composer	John Adair Steve Hampton Ryan Elder Brad Hamilton
Opening theme	"Everything Is Not What It Seems" by Janice LeAnn Brown feat. Selena Gomez
Composer	Zack Ryan
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	21
Production
Executive producers	Jed Elinoff Scott Thomas Selena Gomez David Henrie Gary Marsh Andy Fickman Jonas Agin
Producers	Greg A. Hampson Stefen Maekawa
Cinematography	Clifford Jones
Editors	Paul Coneys Anna Terebelo
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	22–27 minutes[3]
Production companies	Entertainment Force Potato Monkey Productions It's a Laugh Productions
Original release
Network	Disney Channel
Release	October 29, 2024 (2024-10-29) – present
Related
Wizards of Waverly Place (2007−2012)

In March 2025, the series was renewed for a second season.^[4]

Premise

It's been 15 years since the events of Wizards of Waverly Place. Justin Russo is living a normal life with his wife and two sons in Staten Island until his sister Alex asks for help with a young wizard-in-training named Billie. He revives his magical skills in order to mentor the young girl while balancing living a normal life and safeguarding the future of the Wizard World.

Cast and characters

See also: List of Wizards of Waverly Place characters

Main

• Janice LeAnn Brown as Billie, a young wizard who is sent by Alex to live with Justin so he can train her^[5]
• Alkaio Thiele as Roman Russo, Justin's older son and Milo's older brother^[5]
• Max Matenko as Milo Russo, Justin's younger son and Roman's younger brother^[6]
• Taylor Cora as Winter, Billie and Roman's best friend^[7]
• Mimi Gianopulos as Giada Russo, Justin's mortal wife, and the mother of Roman and Milo who is an investigative reporter for WOWP News^[5]
• David Henrie as Justin Russo, Giada's husband, the vice-principal of Greenwald Middle School, and the father of Roman and Milo who trains Billie^[8]

Recurring

• Kirsten Vangsness as Minister Bigelow McFigglehorn, a member of the Wizard Tribunal
• Patrick Bristow as Wizardpedia
• Sarrie Thompson as Iggy, a Pixie and Roman Russo's love interest
• Oscar Montoya as Marcus
• Eleanor Sweeney as Bella Bianchi, Justin's neighbor who feuds with Milo

Notable guest stars

• Selena Gomez as Alex Russo, Justin's younger sister and Milo and Roman's aunt.^[8][9] She is a member of the Wizard Tribunal and is the Russo Family Wizard.
• Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo, Justin and Alex's mother, Giada's mother-in-law, and Milo and Roman's grandmother^[10]
• David DeLuise as Jerry Russo, Justin and Alex's father, Giada's father-in-law, and Milo and Roman's grandfather who currently works for the Spellp-Line^[11][12]

Episodes

No.	Title [1]	Directed by	Written by [2]	Original release date [1]	Prod. code [1]	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"Everything Is Not What It Seems"	Andy Fickman	Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas	October 29, 2024 (2024-10-29)	101	0.14[13]
Fifteen years after the events of Wizards of Waverly Place, non-practicing full wizard Justin Russo (now aged 34 with a normal job as the acting principal of the mortal Greenwald Middle School) is living an ordinary non-magical life on Staten Island in a large suburban family house with his mortal wife Giada and two preadolescent mortal sons, Milo and Roman (who are not wizards as Justin's magical inheritance skipped a generation). When Justin's sister and Russo Family Wizard Alex Russo (now aged 32 and a member of the Wizard Tribunal) arrives with a young wizard named Billie, Alex asks Justin to be her wizard teacher. However, he declines due to giving up using magic after being fired from WizTech. When Justin's sons (although Roman is skeptical at first) find out that Billie is a wizard after she conjures up a "Floogie" monster, Justin decides to help Billie by instructing her with the magic to destroy it (outside of Giada, Milo, and Roman's presence, as Justin does not want them to know that he too is a wizard). Re-discovering his affection for wizardry, Justin decides to use magic again permanently and agrees to teach Billie. Justin, Billie, and Alex enter the old family lair and get reacquainted with it. Alex secretly tells Justin about a prophecy that says Billie must prevent the end of the world from an unknown threat, and Justin is alarmed. Alex thanks Justin for agreeing to teach Billie and leaves to decipher the prophecy more. Justin starts Billie's first lesson with him; he purposefully does not tell Billie about the prophecy. Special guest star: Selena Gomez as Alex Russo Guest star: Dee Bradley Baker as Floogie Absent: Taylor Cora as Winter
2	"Mortal Vibes Only"	Jody Margolin Hahn	Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas	October 29, 2024 (2024-10-29)	102	0.12[13]
Billie gets into trouble with Justin for using magic outside of the lair, and thus, Billie fears being kicked out of the house. When she accidentally reveals to Milo and Roman that Justin is also a wizard, they try to ask him about it, but Billie slows them down with a spell and brews an "erasing" potion to make them forget; it erases half of each of Milo and Roman's bodies, and in a moment of errors Giada finds out about magic and wizards. Ashamed of the mess she has caused, Billie leaves, but Justin finds her at the Ghoulhound Bus Stop. Justin apologizes to Billie for his outbursts, telling her that all the mistakes she made are part of growing up; Justin takes Billie back to the house. A green ghostly figure (who is trying to find Billie to destroy her) appears after they leave. Guest stars: Patrick Bristow as Wizardpedia, Dee Bradley Baker as Phantomus Absent: Taylor Cora as Winter
3	"Saved by the Spell"	Andy Fickman	Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas	October 30, 2024 (2024-10-30)[a]	103	0.12[15]
It's Billie's first day at Greenwald Middle School, and her goal is to make a friend. She uses magic to impress Roman's best friend, Winter. A magical talking frog warns Giada that a Phantomus is on the loose in Staten Island, and she spends all day trying to find Justin to tell him. Roman becomes jealous of Billie and Winter's newfound friendship and steals Billie's wand. This results in the Phantomus thinking Roman is a wizard and possesses him. Billie reveals herself to the Phantomus, and it goes after her instead. Giada and Justin come in and tell Billie to use a restraining spell. She successfully defeats the Phantomus and traps it inside Giada's purse. Billie apologizes for tricking Winter with her magic and is ultimately forgiven. Guest stars: Oscar Montoya as Marcus, Dee Bradley Baker as Phantomus, John DiMaggio as Frog
4	"Something Wizard This Way Comes"	Bob Koherr	Molly Haldeman	October 30, 2024 (2024-10-30)[a]	104	0.10[15]
It's Halloween, and Billie explains if she were in the wizarding world, she would be preparing for "Pumpkin Belly," a monster that eats children if their house doesn't have terrifying Halloween decorations. When their decorations disappear, Billie and Roman are eaten; inside the stomach, they find Winter, who was the one who stole their decorations to make the monster arrive. Billie uses soda and mints to make the beast throw up, which succeeds until Winter says she left her phone in the stomach, and they have to get eaten again to get it. Meanwhile, Justin discovers that as acting principal, the school students will egg his house.
5	"Wizards Just Wand to Have Fun"	Victor Gonzalez	Brittany Assaly & Danielle Calvert	November 8, 2024 (2024-11-08)[a]	105	0.16[16]
Justin gets tired of Billie using magic irresponsibly and takes her wand away from her until she can take it seriously. Billie orders the wrong prank box from an online wizarding store and when Justin opens it at his office, he is shrunk. Billie tries to help him with an interview with the superintendent, but when it goes awry, he ends up at the Russo home with Justin still shrunk. He tells Billie that Justin hasn't got the principal job, but she convinces him to give Justin a second chance just as Justin walks into the lair, which takes off the shrinking spell and is given the job after a successful interview. Meanwhile, Roman uses a muscle suit to win at dodgeball. Guest stars: Darien Sills-Evans as Superintendent Kowalski
6	"The Legend of Creepy Follows"	Andy Fickman	Rick Williams	November 8, 2024 (2024-11-08)[a]	106	0.11[16]
Billie receives a tablet and finds out about Badgebook, an online school program created by Justin that helps with the students' school work, but they mostly use it for followers. When Billie signs up and does not gain any followers, she uses a spell to gain more. Then, her followers start following her around in real life and she learns from Wizardpedia that she must undo the spell or they will destroy her. She transfers the spell to Roman who is nearly destroyed, but Billie and Giada destroy all the tablets to break the spell. Meanwhile, Milo breaks into the lair and shows Wizardpedia how to have fun. Guest star: Patrick Bristow as Wizardpedia
7	"We're Gonna Need a Bigger Float"	Andy Fickman	Robin M. Henry	November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15)[a]	107	N/A
Billie has been putting off her wizard homework for several weeks, and she is forbidden from going to the Fall Fest Parade until she finishes all of it. As she is reading the spell book, she comes across a card inside of it that advertises the Spellp-Line, a helpline for wizards in need of help. Billie is transported to the Spellp-Line and meets Jerry Russo, Justin's father. She tricks him into giving her a completion spell to complete her homework. Meanwhile, Roman is in charge of the float decorating committee and constantly bosses everyone around, causing them to leave. Roman attempts to finish the float by himself but does a poor job. Billie uses the completion spell to finish the float, and the kids start carrying it across town. Roman gets tired of pulling it by himself, and the float suddenly starts floating in the air. As Justin grades Billie's quizzes, he realizes she used the Spellp-Line to help. He reunites with his father inside the Spellp-Line. Justin asks what he is doing wrong as a teacher, and Jerry tells him that every student learns differently. Roman eventually gets tired of the float being in the air and asks Billie to help them land. Billie has no idea how to land, but she finds a dropping spell that brings the float back down to the ground, destroying it. Roman agrees to apologize to the decorating committee and get them to help rebuild it. Billie apologizes to Jerry for tricking him and agrees that she needs to take her homework seriously if she wants to be a great wizard. Ultimately, Roman's float ends up beating the rival middle school's float. Special guest star: David DeLuise as Jerry Russo Absent: Taylor Cora as Winter
8	"You Can't Handle the Tooth"	Victor Gonzalez	Sandra Oyeneyin	November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15)[a]	111	N/A
Justin has a bad toothache from his wisdom teeth that makes him extremely cranky. He was supposed to get them pulled out when he was younger, but he kept putting it off. When Justin takes a nap, Billie uses a spell to remove his wisdom teeth. It makes him feel a lot better, but the spell also removed his wisdom, and he starts acting out of character. Meanwhile, Milo and Roman have difficulty deciding how their clubhouse should be designed.
9	"Wiz-Taken Identity"	Lynda Tarryk	Jorge Thomson	November 22, 2024 (2024-11-22)[a]	108	0.13[17]
Billie struggles with a spell, and Roman states that he could do it if he were a wizard. To prove him wrong, Billie uses an hourglass to transfer her powers to Roman for an hour, which she finds out is illegal to use on a mortal. A ministry member, Bigelow McFigglehorn, comes to test Billie's abilities, and Roman pretends to be her as she doesn't know her face. When another McFigglehorn enters the Russo home, the first McFigglehorn reveals herself as evil wizard Morphia Murkshadow, who has come to take Billie. When Billie's magic transfers back to her she defeats Morphia who is taken to prison. At the prison, a dark figure in a hooded robe appears before Morphia, who sends her through a portal to an unknown place. Meanwhile, Milo is trying to win a pickleball tournament against Bella Bianchi with some help from Giada. Guest stars: Kirsten Vangsness as Bigelow McFigglehorn, JJ Nolan as Morphia Murkshadow, Eleanor Sweeney as Bella Bianchi, Kristin Hensley as Anita Bianchi Absent: Taylor Cora as Winter
10	"Ain't Gnome Party Like a Wizard Party"	Raven-Symoné	Brett Maier	November 22, 2024 (2024-11-22)	109	0.12[17]
A friend of Billie's from Wiz-Tech (Nerissa) comes for a visit and tells Billie that she has changed. In order to prove that she is still a 'cool' girl, Billie throws a house party and conjures a shadow-box (a box of nightmares that supposedly no-one lasts 5 minutes in). She then has to go into the box after Winter to rescue her. Billie realizes that she has changed but that she's okay with that. Meanwhile, Milo is trying to grow a sunflower but they keep dying on him, much to his rival Bella's glee. A magical gnome grows it for him but also ends up switching bodies with him and Justin & Giada must find a way to change them back. During the party, Roman meets a Pixie named Iggy that he instantly gets a crush on. Guest stars: Mykal-Michelle Harris as Nerissa, Eleanor Sweeney as Bella Bianchi, Sarrie Thompson as Iggy, John DiMaggio as Gnome
11	"Potions Eleven"	Danielle Fishel	Emily Orr & Ali Peikin	January 17, 2025 (2025-01-17)	110	0.09[18]
Billie is caught using magic to help Roman be good at sports and Justin grounds them both, telling them both to stay in their rooms. Billie protests and states that Justin must have used magic irresponsibly himself at some point in time. He denies this and heads to work where he is preparing to give an important presentation to the school board. Billie collects some of Justin's personal items to make a potion that will take her & Roman into Justin's mind where she hopes to find his memories to prove that he was irresponsible with magic. When she starts messing around with buttons & levers in Justin's mind, this starts making him act very strangely in the real world and during his presentation, leading to an explosion. Whilst going through Justin's memories, we see some flashbacks from the previous series including Justin's first kiss[b] and him using magic to be good at baseball[c], the latter of which is Billie's proof of Justin using magic irresponsibly. However, she also discovers something amiss in his memory of 'The Unicorn Incident' (the thing that got him fired from Wiz-Tech). It turns out the person that replaced him as headmaster actually framed him and wiped his memory. Billie discovering this triggers an alert that calls the perpetrator Alistair Goodspeed to Justin's mind, but Billie is able to trap him in one of the DVD cases that store Justin's memories (with Roman's help). Justin now remembers everything! Giada points out that without getting fired from Wiz-Tech he wouldn't have met her or have the life they do now. The Board decided to keep his STEM program, saying that the whole debacle proved that science education is clearly still needed. Guest stars: Oscar Montoya as Marcus, Amir Talai as Alistair Goodspeed Absent: Max Matenko as Milo Russo
12	"Battle of the Wands"	Robbie Countryman	Brittany Assaly & Danielle Calvert	January 17, 2025 (2025-01-17)	112	0.09[18]
Billie is studying at the weekend and when Justin asks why, she admits to wanting to enter the "Battle of the Wands". Justin forbids her from doing so. Winter helps her realize that she's going to go anyway and they ask Roman to cover for them. He asks to come along instead, hoping his Pixie crush Iggy will be there. They agree and ask Milo to cover for them instead. All Milo wants in return is a blue ice-pop. Billie spends most of her time at "Battle of the Wands" trying to get herself a spot in the contest as it is all booked up, including trying to get a hand to sign her up (Winter succeeds at this by waiting for the hand to give her a high-five). Billie meets the 2007 Battle of the Wands champion- Nigel Dragonberry, and his son Xander who tells her she will always be the screw-up who couldn't make it at Wiz-Tech. Milo makes a valiant effort to pretend Billie & Roman are still there, but Justin and Giada rumble him quickly by suggesting they all go to "Pasta Palace". Justin tracks Billie to the "Battle of the Wands" and tells her that just because she screwed up doesn't mean she's a screw-up. Once he realizes that everyone just calls him "Alex's brother" as stated by Nigel, he relents and agrees to help Billie take the Dragonberry's down. The contest has rules that the spells cast must all start with the last word of the previous spell. Billie manages to outsmart the Dragonberry's by ending her spell with the word "fantastic", which Xander says as "Xantastic" (his catchphrase). Justin & Billie win, but Billie gives the trophy to Xander after hearing Nigel call him a disappointment for using his catchphrase in spellcasting. Winter helps Roman have a sort-of conversation with Iggy, who says she likes him too and gives him her number. Though Justin punishes Billie and Roman for disobeying his orders to not go to the "Battle of the Wands", he gets disappointed that Giada took Milo to "Pasta Palace" without him. Guest stars: Adam Chambers as Nigel Dragonberry, Sarrie Thompson as Iggy, Yuvi Hecht as Xander Dragonberry, Britt Chandler Johnson as Emcee, Austin Brady as The Hand
13	"There's Something About the Russos"	Leonard R. Garner Jr.	Molly Haldeman	January 24, 2025 (2025-01-24)	113	0.09[19]
Billie helps all the various members of the Russo family with their 'emergencies' using magic, but is caught by their neighbour Bella (who Milo knew was there while looking for the casserole dish that Giada borrowed from her mother and was trying to warn Billie about). It is Justin & Giada's 15 year anniversary and through a series of mis-understandings, they each think the other has gotten them a much better gift. Giada gets Billie to let her into the lair to try and find her gift, and Justin tries to make a reservation at a fancy restaurant. Bella confronts Billie & Milo about the magic, and just as Billie was about to wipe her memory, Milo pushes Bella through the magic mirror into the lair, which he then accidentally breaks with his lacrosse stick. Giada tries to keep her from seeing anything magical in the lair, and she just about convinces her, when Roman walks through the portal, having been to the Wizard World for his first date with Iggy. Justin finds out about all of this and reveals that the mirror can only be fixed from inside the lair. He calls his brother Max to find out if the freezer from their families old sub-shop is still a portal to the lair. It turns out it is, but Max sold it to the most exclusive restaurant in town- 'Chez Pretenshoo.' Justin & Billie go down there to try and sneak into the kitchen so they can go through the freezer to enter the lair, but they are not successful at getting in, until Winter pretends to be an influencer with 300 million followers. Billie then has to use some clever magic to turn her and Justin into food on plates so they won't be seen. This gets them into the kitchen and they go through the freezer and enter the lair just in time to save Bella from the tentacle in the sarcophagus. Justin fixes the mirror while Billie gets everyone out of the lair & wipes Bella's memory (with the spell that they could only use for an hour, which they had 30 seconds left on). Bella leaves, but unbeknownst to anyone else, she had taken an orb from a shelf in the lair, which she pulls out of her pocket and then it glows, leaving her still suspicious about the Russo's. Guest star: Eleanor Sweeney as Bella Bianchi
14	"Ready Player Wand"	Danielle Fishel	Emily Orr & Ali Peikin	January 24, 2025 (2025-01-24)	117	0.08[19]
Justin suggests a family game night, which everyone is up for. But once Billie finds out that Roman calls himself "The Game-Master" and wins every game, she becomes determined to beat him at something. This involves finding a wizard game in the lair that Roman won't have played before. Roman keeps interrupting Giada on her call to try and fix the wi-fi, with 'emergencies' such as not being able to find his Game-Master Robe, and then there being a spider on it. Justin comes home with a lot of work to do, but Billie accidentally starts them playing the game "Mystery Mansion" which because its a wizard game, sucks them all into it. They can only get out by solving the puzzle, so they have to find all the clues in each room and put them together. They split into 2 teams of 3 to investigate different areas, and Billie & Roman are trying to out-do each other by finding the clues first. Milo has to learn the clarinet for school, but he's very bad at it (until he sneezes into it). The spider that had been on the game-board is now inside the game as a giant version of itself, and it webs up everybody except Roman, who comes back in to attack the spider with a rake, freeing Milo to then get everyone else out of the web. They then all have to work together to solve the puzzle, which they do. Since they all solved it together, there is no game-master. Billie realizes the family game night was always about having fun together and Justin suggests they make it a weekly thing. Guest stars: John DiMaggio as Technician, Ivy Perkins as Automated Voice
15	"Quest Birthday Ever!"	Bob Koherr	Brett Maier and Jorge Thomson	January 31, 2025 (2025-01-31)	115	0.12[20]
It's Billie's 13th birthday which, as a wizard, means she has to go on a quest as a rite of passage. Justin sets one up for her, but an unknown wizard sabotages it and replaces it with another, which transports Billie into a cave with multiple dangers. Roman and Milo, avoiding decorating for the party, end up in Billie's quest and help her find and claim the prize at the end, an amulet. Meanwhile, Justin and Giada try to set up the party, and hire a party planner, who bonds with Giada. When they take the amulet, the cave collapses, but they are saved by Justin, who brings them to the party. Afterward, Billie is revealed to have secretly kept the amulet, which glows when she goes to sleep. Guest star: Miguel Pinzon as Martim
16	"While You Were Sleepcasting"	Robbie Countryman	Chloe Mathieu & Rick Williams	January 31, 2025 (2025-01-31)	116	0.10[20]
Billie and Winter are surprised and excited when an eighth grader begins talking to them, and they start hanging out with her. This leads to Billie inviting her over and Giada inviting her to stay for a sleepover. Winter is excited but Billie doesn't seem to be. Billie reveals that this is because she has to wear weird-looking headgear when she sleeps, otherwise she casts spells in her sleep, and she's worried about Eva seeing her in it and making fun of her (which happened to her at WizTech, giving her the name "Braceface Billie"), but also worried about exposing magic if she doesn't wear it. She and Winter try multiple ways to cancel the sleepover, but Giada ensures it goes ahead. The girls have fun, but Billie makes herself a "stink-root" tea to try and keep herself awake which is working until Giada throws it away. Meanwhile, Justin takes Roman & Milo on a 'boys night' but he takes them to things they used to enjoy when younger and they are not having fun. Eventually, Justin admits he's struggling to adjust to them growing up, but takes them centaur tipping to make up for it. Billie ends up falling asleep, and Winter cannot wake her, which is a problem because of the sleep-casting. Justin has to reverse all the magic Billie is casting whilst Giada goes into Billie's dream to try and wake her up, helping her to come to terms with and move past the bullying in the process. In the final scene, Justin gets a visit at his house by the same centaur who delivers payback by tipping him. Guest stars: Camila Rodriguez as Eva Morales, Kingslei Michelle Love as Lucy, Rory Keane as Centaur
17	"Abraca-Disaster!"	Jody Margolin Hahn	Aaron Mervis & Robin M. Henry	February 7, 2025 (2025-02-07)	114	0.16[21]
Winter has been practicing magic tricks for a month, but she's terrible at them. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, Billie instead uses magic to help her impress the President of their school's magic club, which then gets Winter into both the club and that evening's show. Roman has started work for the school paper, and his friend is the photographer. He accidentally captured Billie using magic on camera, so Roman goes to great lengths to get hold of the camera so he can delete the photo. Billie uses her magic to help Winter during the show and Winter gets upset. She tells Billie that she should have just told her rather than making her think she was good at something she wasn't. They both end up in a Tank that is slowly filling with water, and Billie doesn't have her wand so can't use magic to get them out. Meanwhile, Milo wants to see a new horror film- 'Bucket of Guts 2', but when his parents tell him he's too young, he calls them uncool. This gets in their heads and they both separately take him to see the film, which he really wasn't ready for. Guest stars: Caroline Valencia as Sage, Jaeden White as Parker
18	"Hit Me With Your Best Bot"	Victor Gonzalez	Molly Haldeman and Brittany Assaly & Danielle Calvert	February 7, 2025 (2025-02-07)	118	0.10[21]
Winter & Roman have teamed up to build a robot for their schools 'Robot Rumble.' Billie tries to help them with magic, but they refuse. She teams up with Milo instead and they throw a bunch of stuff into a cauldron, which Billie then casts a spell over. Their robot comes out of the cauldron, he's huge, they name him 'Boltron'. Billie gives him a command- 'Destroy the Competition, specifically Roman & Winter.' Billie & Milo win the Robot Rumble (Milo only entered due to a fake ID as he doesn't attend that school!) but Boltron takes his command too far and starts chasing Roman & Winter. Billie's magic doesn't work on him, due to the forcefield she added to the cauldron. All 4 of them team up to build a 'Superbot' that is able to defeat Boltron. Billie apologizes for using magic for everything, explaining that it was the way she was raised. Meanwhile, Justin needs to go to the wizard market to get some new Serpent Scale (a potion ingredient), Giada accompanies him. Whilst there, he repeatedly accidentally offends a Cyclops, who then refuses to sell him the Serpent Scale. Giada applies some 'Fairy Lotion' to her skin, but it turns her into a troll for an hour. This actually helps Justin though as Trolls and Cyclopes are mortal enemies, so Giada pretends to attack the Cyclops so Justin can play the hero and gets the serpent scale. Guest stars: Deron J. Powell as Cyclops, John DiMaggio as Boltron
19	"Raiders of the Locked Archive"	Jody Margolin Hahn	Robin M. Henry and Rick Williams	February 14, 2025 (2025-02-14)	119	0.11[22]
Billie takes to wearing the amulet she found in the Cave Quest. Justin gets offered a place on the Wizard Tribunal, so the entire family go along. Billie's amulet glows at certain things, leading her to the Archive where she finds a painting with a prophecy about her written in Ancient Elfish. Whilst the translator spell works on it, Milo and Roman have to contend with the guard of the Archive. Justin and Giada successfully convince the Gnome and the Centaur that Justin had encounters with to go home and not speak to the Tribunal about his character, but they don't get a chance to do so with the Cyclops from the wizard market. Justin begins to make his case, when he realizes the children are missing and runs off to save them from the Guard. This, combined with Giada's impassioned speech on his behalf, earns him his place on the Tribunal. Justin rescues the kids as McFigglehorn reprimands the guard for trying to send the kids to the Dimension of No Return. The kids are all grounded, but Milo managed to get the prophecy for Billie which states that a powerful wizard girl will "end the world". Guest stars: Kirsten Vangsness as Bigelow McFigglehorn, Deron J. Powell as Cyclops, Matthew Willig as Archive Guard, John DiMaggio as Gnome, Rory Keane as Centaur Absent: Taylor Cora as Winter
20	"When You Wish Upon A Squonk"	Jody Margolin Hahn	Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas	February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21)	120	0.11[23]
Justin's parents are in town for a visit to celebrate his new position. Theresa helps around the house, despite Giada's claims that it's not necessary. Billie is so concerned about the prophecy that she has stopped using magic altogether. The kids are studying for an Earth Science Test and Milo & Bella have to do a project together that involves building a model volcano. On Justin's first day, there is an alert to unexplained instances of magic in Staten Island (such as a mysterious blizzard) which he immediately goes back and lectures Billie for. Jerry helps her try to find out who is actually doing the magic. It turns out to be Bella with the orb she stole from the Lair from a previous episode. It can summon a "Squonk" who grants wishes. He turns Jerry and Winter into tortoises. Justin and Billie have a chat about the prophecy (which he accidentally reveals he knew about), and she uses a truth detector to prove she hasn't been using magic. Justin finally realizes a squonk was behind all the magic, and Bella wishes him back into his ball, Justin is then able to turn Jerry and Winter back to themselves. Jerry and Theresa leave after revealing the squonk ball belonged to Jerry all along. Billie hears Roman and Winter discussing the prophecy and their fears for her and runs away, summoning a portal. Roman follows her into it. Justin and Giada realize that Billie and Roman are missing, and Justin uses a spell to see what happened and where they went. Justin says that the prophecy says Billie will "save" the world, not end it. Special guest stars: Maria Canals-Barrera as Theresa Russo, David DeLuise as Jerry Russo Guest stars: Kirsten Vangsness as Bigelow McFigglehorn, Eleanor Sweeney as Bella Bianchi, Ian Gary as Wishing Squonk
21	"Nigh is Now!"	Andy Fickman	Jed Elinoff & Scott Thomas	February 28, 2025 (2025-02-28)[d]	121	0.21[25]
Following the events of the previous episode, Justin, Giada, Milo and Winter ponder where Billie and Roman may have gone. Justin guesses that Billie and Roman are at the Ghoulhound Bus Stop, where he found Billie in the second episode. Giada suggests that Justin contact Alex, who appears on her own accord shortly after. Alex asks Justin and Giada how Billie is, but Justin is evasive; Giada tells Alex that Billie is missing outside of Justin's presence. When Justin arrives at the Ghoulhound Bus Stop, he finds a frozen-like copy of Billie, which disintegrates. Alex arrives on the scene and confronts Justin about why he didn't tell her Billie is missing. Justin explains that he didn't want to let Alex down. They have a heartfelt brother-sister moment. Billie and Roman take a Wuber carriage ride to the Mountain Fortress of Solitarious. Billie goes in, but is joined by Roman because the full moon came out and the driver turned into a werewolf. They are confronted by a hooded robed figure who identifies himself as Silas Evilini, the son of the villainous Dr. Evilini.[e] Silas reveals that Billie's amulet has the power to free his mother after she was imprisoned for her plan many years ago to (unsuccessfully) drain Justin of his wizard powers and become the most powerful wizard ever.[f] Before Silas can use Billie to free Dr. Evilini, Justin and Alex arrive and Silas introduces himself to them. Justin and Alex get the better of Silas and he retreats. When they all get home, Giada and Milo are being held captive by Silas. Silas again attempts to use Billie's powers on the amulet, but is again foiled when Roman and Milo block the spell path. Roman and Milo absorb the magic and unintentionally gain wizard powers, which they use to stop Silas along with the family, Billie, and Winter as Silas is imprisoned in the same amulet as his mother. Later in the kitchen, Roman and Milo come to terms with their new powers and Minister Bigelow McFigglehorn visits the house. McFigglehorn explains that as there are now multiple wizards in the household, the competition to determine the Family Wizard must eventually take place, with Justin as Roman, Milo, and Billie's teacher. Alex jokes that Justin is now "officially dad" (Jerry was Justin, Alex and Max's long-time wizard teacher for their Family Wizard competition in of Waverly Place). McFigglehorn asks Alex if she has the amulet, which she does, and McFigglehorn takes it, saying she will "take very good care of it". Despite this assurance, as McFigglehorn turns away, her eyes glow red, seemingly under the control (willingly or unwillingly) of an evil force. Special guest star: Selena Gomez as Alex Russo Guest stars: Kirsten Vangsness as Bigelow McFigglehorn, Ramon Reed as Silas Evilini

Production

Development

On January 18, 2024, it was announced that Disney had ordered a pilot for a sequel television series of Wizards of Waverly Place.^[26] Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, who developed Raven's Home, the sequel to That's So Raven, wrote the pilot episode.^[27] It was directed by Andy Fickman.^[28] Elinoff, Thomas, and Fickman executive produce the series alongside stars Selena Gomez and David Henrie, as well as Gary Marsh, a former television executive, and Jonas Agin.^[29] The pilot was filmed on February 1, 2024, with Gomez guest starring and reprising her role as Alex Russo.^[30] In the series, Henrie's character is set to have given up his wizard powers to live like a normal human.^[31][32] On March 22, 2024, it was announced that Disney Channel had ordered the pilot to series.^[33] Production began in Los Angeles in April 2024.^[34] Wizards was used as the working title during early filming^[35] until its official title, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, was announced in May 2024.^[36] Raven-Symoné and Danielle Fishel directed episodes.^[14] Andy Fickman also directed additional episodes outside of the pilot.^[37] The first season consists of 21 episodes.^[38]

On March 31, 2025, the series was renewed for a second season.^[4]

Casting

David Henrie reprises his role as Justin Russo, while Selena Gomez guest starred in both the pilot and the season one finale as Alex Russo.^[39] Mimi Gianopulos was cast to portray Giada, Justin's wife, and Alkaio Thiele plays their oldest son Roman.^[40] Additionally, Janice LeAnn Brown stars as Billie, a young wizard seeking Justin's assistance in wizard training.^[41] At the time it was ordered to series, it was reported that Max Matenko was cast as Milo, Justin's youngest son.^[42] Taylor Cora also appears as Winter, Billie and Roman's best friend.^[43] It was later announced that David DeLuise would reprise his role as Justin's father Jerry.^[44]

Release

The trailer for Wizards Beyond Waverly Place amassed 69 million viewers in 10 days across all social media platforms. It became Disney Channel's most-watched trailer for a comedy series of all time.^[45] The series premiered on October 29, 2024, on Disney Channel. The first nine episodes became available to stream on Disney+ the following day, with episodes 3–9 being released prior to their televised premieres.^[14] Episodes 10–21 were released on Disney+ on February 28, 2025, with episode 21 being released prior to its televised premiere.^[24]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 89% approval rating with an average rating of 7.7/10, based on 9 critic reviews.^[46] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 78 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[47]

Aramide Tinubu of Variety said Wizards Beyond Waverly Place successfully blends nostalgia with fresh content. She praised the performances of both returning cast members like David Henrie and Selena Gomez, and newcomers such as Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, and Max Matenko. Tinubu found the enhanced special effects and comedic timing of the child actors particularly impressive. She stated that the series retains the charm of the original, with its focus on family and magic, while introducing new adventures. She appreciated the show's lively and fun atmosphere, saying it appeals to both longtime fans and newcomers.^[48] Joel Keller of Decider noted that Wizards Beyond Waverly Place captures the silliness and family vibe of the original show, but observed a difference in Selena Gomez's performance. He praised her more subtle comedic timing, saying it may be influenced by her work on Only Murders in the Building, contrasting with the more exaggerated sitcom-like acting from the rest of the cast. Keller appreciated her nuanced portrayal of Alex Russo, balancing the childlike antics around her. He also highlighted the show's focus on Billie's integration into the mortal world and the return of original cast members, expecting the series to appeal to both nostalgic fans and new younger audiences.^[49]

Abigail Stevens of Screen Rant found Wizards Beyond Waverly Place to be a funny and heartwarming sequel that successfully captures the essence of its predecessor. She praised David Henrie and Selena Gomez for reprising their roles, noting their strong dynamic, while complimenting the performances of the new cast members. Stevens appreciated how the show mirrors the original family structure without feeling like a direct copy, maintaining unique characterizations. She stated that the series introduces darker emotional storylines, hinting at deeper themes of family and self-worth.^[50] Ashley Moulton of Common Sense Media rated Wizards Beyond Waverly Place four out of five stars. She complimented the show's comedic tone and found the moderate scariness of the wizards' encounters with monsters to be lighthearted and not overly alarming. Moulton appreciated the positive messages about perseverance and self-belief, while noting that the main character Billie is a complex role model, showing both rebelliousness and personal growth. She also found Justin Russo to be a good role model, while the relationship between brothers Milo and Roman was seen as affectionate despite typical sibling rivalry.^[51]

Ratings

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place debuted with 3.2 million views globally in its first 12 days on Disney+, making it the most-watched series premiere on the platform for Disney Channel. The show ranked as the top streaming series in the U.S. among Kids 6—11, Girls 6—11, Teens, and Adults 18—24 during its first five days. The release of the full first episode on YouTube attracted 1.1 million views, marking the channel's best performance for a new full episode since 2017. Social media activity generated over 125 million impressions and 13 million engagements on platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.^[52][53]

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild	February 15, 2025	Best Makeup in Children and Teen Programming	Melissa Sandora, Sarah Benjamin Hall, Koji Ohmura	Nominated	[54]
		Best Hair Styling in Children and Teen Programming	Dwayne Ross, Tamara Tripp	Nominated
Art Directors Guild Awards	February 15, 2025	Excellence in Production Design for a Multi-Camera Series	Kelly Hogan (for "Saved by the Spell" and "Something Wizard this Way Comes")	Nominated	[55]
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards	June 21, 2025	Favorite TV Show	Wizards Beyond Waverly Place	Nominated	[56]
		Favorite Male TV Star – Kids Show	David Henrie	Nominated
		Favorite Female TV Star – Kids Show	Janice LeAnn Brown	Nominated
Imagen Awards	August 22, 2025	Best Young Actor	Taylor Cora	Pending	[57]
TCA Awards	2025	Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming	Wizards Beyond Waverly Place	Pending	[58]

Notes

1. This episode was first released on Disney+ on October 30, 2024.^[14]
2. As seen in the Wizards of Waverly Place episode "First Kiss".
3. As seen in the Wizards of Waverly Place episode "The Supernatural".
4. This episode was first released on Disney+ on February 28, 2025.^[24]
5. Dr. Evilini was previously seen in the two-part Wizards of Waverly Place episode "Wizard School".
6. This backstory was the main plot in the two-part Wizards of Waverly Place episode "Wizard School".