Jake T. Austin says he wanted in on Wizards Beyond Waverly Place; producers went another way

Jake T. Austin said on Instagram on Aug. 6 that he told producers in 2020 he was "100% in" to reprise Max Russo in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, but they took the show in a different direction. He is the only key original cast member absent from the three-season Disney Channel revival, which aired its finale Aug. 4. Co-star David Henrie told TV Insider Austin was "busy." A Disney Channel representative did not respond to Variety's request for comment.