Selena Gomez's Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Is Ending Way Sooner Than Expected, But I'm Actually OK With It

Selena Gomez surprised us all a couple of years back when she decided to return as Alex Russo in the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Now, we’ve just received word that the revival is already ending this year. However, I think there’s a good reason why three seasons is all we’ll see of the new Disney Channel show. SPOILERS ahead for the show so far!

Disney Channel Is Already Ending Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

It's almost time to say goodbye to Wizard Beyond Waverly Place. It’s just been announced that there will be just four more episodes of the sequel series to Wizards of Waverly Place, and it’s premiering this summer on Disney Channel and Disney+, per a press release from Disney Branded Television. You can check out the video announcement here:

It’s going to be a “four-part event” that will follow Janice LeAnn Brown’s Billie after the shocking Season 2 finale, where we learned two twists for Selena Gomez’s Alex Russo. The show revealed that Alex is actually Billie’s mom, and put a spell on herself to lock away her own memories of the fact in a locket around her neck to protect her from Lord Morsus. In a big cliffhanger ending, Billie and Alex learn the revelation just before Alex jumps into a portal to save her family from the evil wizard.

In Season 3, Billie will be focused on rescuing Alex by banding together with her family (including David Henrie’s Justin and his kids) and reuniting with her long-lost dad. Production is set to start next week!

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Why I’m Not Mad At The Show’s Short Run

The most exciting part of the announcement that I haven’t mentioned yet is that Selena Gomez will be making her directorial debut in episode one of Season 3. She'll also reprise her role as Alex Russo in “multiple episodes” this time around.

As an OG fan of Wizards of Waverly Place, don’t get me wrong, I think the show did a really good job of recapturing the magic overall, and I love that a new generation of kids has Billie and the other young characters. But, there’s a sort of electricity that Selena Gomez brings to the show, and it’s just not the same without her always around. (For context: she's only been in four episodes of the 31 that have aired so far).

I like the idea of Season 3 acting as a legacy sequel for Alex Russo and her daughter, with a greater focus on the beloved original character, and the show ending things on a high note. I think across two seasons, it’s felt pretty clear that Alex Russo needs to be central to the franchise, and it just wouldn’t feel right for these ties to go away – especially considering Gomez probably didn't have time to return to the show full-time to begin with.

Disney Branded Television’s announcement came with them citing Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has “emerged as a top streaming series” for new and returning fans, so I hope its success leads to other Disney Channel shows being revived. There’s no official release date for the final Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, but we’ll update the 2026 TV schedule as soon as it’s revealed.