It’s no secret plenty of stars will always be known for their iconic TV characters, and Frankie Muniz as Malcolm is no exception. What the interesting part to watch unfold is how each actor realizes and then responds to this unshakable title. For the Malcolm in the Middle star, it seems like the pigeonholing issues were no big deal for him when diving into the return. And I love how surprising his feelings are for the beloved brainiac.
Though the Malcolm in the Middle revival is still waiting in the wings ahead of landing amidst the 2025 TV schedule, Muniz landed US Weekly’s cover story. In preparation of the December Disney+ release, he covered a lot of ground with the publication, including returning to the family of eight. When asked about worries of getting boxed into a character, the racecar driver had a grounded answer. He’s proud to be associated with Malcolm because of his impact, and said:
People go, ‘You don’t want to get pigeonholed [as] one character,’ but I’m like, ‘Wherever I go in the world, people know Malcolm, and they love the show and that family.’ I was in Mexico two months ago, and literally, people were crying to me [over] how it changed their family dynamic. The timing wasn’t perfect because I’m now a full-time NASCAR driver, but I wasn’t going to say no because of that.
I really do love how refreshing his answer is in regards to the fictitious fan favorite. As we know not every character’s legacy is held in such a way. And that’s especially true in the age of streaming, with plenty of TV (and movies) finding new audiences in waves. But, on top of it all, I really appreciate that Muniz still holds a place for MITM fans even though it’s been 20 years and he’s changed professions.
Now, two decades after the finale, it was announced that Malcolm in the Middle is coming back, and made the internet wild. Turns out, those rumors that had been floating around were planted by Muniz and his X account, ten years ago. He shares that while the creator of the show wasn’t interested then, it was Bryan Cranston that led the decade long charge to green lighting the reboot, saying:
I think I had put a Tweet out in 2015 [saying], ‘It would be so cool to see where Malcolm and his family are.’ I couldn’t believe the response and how [many people] went crazy for that. I called [show creator] Linwood Boomer, and he was like, ‘No, I like how it ended.’ Bryan Cranston [who played Malcolm’s dad, Hal] and I talked about it, and he took the lead in making it happen. It took 10 years.
I’m sure the whole ride has been a crazy one for the Big Fat Liar star. From landing the OG gig, having the internet onboard for a revival and continuously adored throughout has to make anyone’s tires spin. And, now with the MITM revival wrapped, I’m sure the cast, crew and Muniz are just counting down to its premiere. If the continuation hits like the aughts series, Malcolm and co are likely to have an even larger fandom.
We’ll have to wait and see just how well a grown up version of the classic FOX Network family fares. I hope it does well for many reasons, but Muniz’s commitment to Malcolm while balancing racing with filming may top the list. Here’s hoping that they all avoid the pitfalls and other concerns of a returning series.
Make sure to have an active Disney+ subscription this December to tune in! You can stream the original show there until then.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
