By Cassandra Pinkney
David Henrie, best known for playing the high-strung older brother Justin Russo in the fan-favorite Wizards of Waverly Place series, is back to make more magic in Season 2 of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
The newest installment of the Wizards franchise sees Justin literally passing the wand to a new generation of wizards—his sons Roman and Milo (played by Alkaio Thiele and Max Matenko, respectively) and his trainee Billie (played by Janice LeAnn Brown). As Justin prepares his students for the Family Wizard Competition throughout the second season, the fate of the Russo family is put in jeopardy by the emergence of a mysterious new threat. Before the premiere of the series’ high-stakes second season, D23 had the chance to sit down with David Henrie, executive producer and star of the show, for an exclusive conversation about his experience bringing the magic of the Russo family to a new generation.
Reprising his role as Justin Russo was as personal to Henrie as it was professional. After becoming a father in real life, Henrie and co-star and co-executive producer Selena Gomez began having conversations about how fatherhood felt like a natural extension of Justin’s storyline from the original series. “That was one of the first dominoes to fall when coming up with this idea,” Henrie explained. He shared how he enjoys being a parent both on- and off-screen, now getting to play a version of Justin Russo who not only has tender moments with his co-stars but also gets to use his “dad voice.”
Just as the stars of the original series grew up and continued their deep admiration for the show, so did the show’s fans. So, when bringing the idea of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place to life, Henrie and the rest of the creative team were faced with the monumental task of creating a series that would appeal to both old and new fans alike. “It was a challenge,” explained Henrie of creating a show that would bring different generations together. “Our goal was to make the original fans feel seen and hugged, but at the same time, create an invitation to a whole new generation of kids that are going to get to enjoy this world.” Luckily for fans of all ages, this series did just that.
At the heart of the series’ enduring legacy is family. Henrie describes the Russo family as “messy and chaotic and crazy,” but most importantly, that they “have each other’s backs.” The notion of “found family” is a major theme throughout all the stories in the Wizards franchise and is just as palpable off-screen as it is on-screen. When sharing his favorite scenes to film during this season, such as the finale and Christmas episode (which he directed), it became evident that the second season of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place will dive head first into the joyous, sad, and complicated mixture of emotions that all families experience. Henrie spoke about the cast rehearsing a scene between Billie and Alex Russo (played by Selena Gomez), remarking that “half the set was literally needing [tissues] because they were sniffling, crying, because it was so meaningful.” This trust and feeling of being part of a found family among the actors gave them a newfound confidence, which Henrie says shines within the entire cast’s “[award]-worthy” performances throughout the second season. “They crushed it.”
All episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place season two premiere October 8 on Disney+.