The Lizzie McGuire Reboot Was Scrapped Five Years Ago, But It's The Perfect Time To Bring It Back. Here's Why

Is this what dreams are made of? Because I think we're about to find out – or we should be.

I've been a fan of Disney Channel shows and movies for plenty of years. Whether it's rewatching Phineas and Ferb, the iconic yet hilarious Wizards of Waverly Place, or even checking out what the High School Musical cast is up to, I seriously love the Disney Channel – or at least loved it when I was younger. Now, the nostalgia has caught up with me.

One show that I also liked – and a lot of other people loved endlessly – was Lizzie McGuire. The series was a massive hit for Disney Channel and ultimately led to a theatrically released movie, which was a huge success – and it also paved the way for a reboot of the franchise years later.

However, in 2020, the Lizzie McGuire reboot was officially shelved, and fans everywhere were devastated. I think the time is right to try it again and bring the story back – and here's why.

Disney Has Been Having Success With Its Sequel Series Of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

The first reason is that it's not as if Disney hasn't experimented with reboots; in fact, they're continuing to do so.

In October 2024, a sequel series titled Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiered, continuing the story of Wizards of Waverly Place. As I've said before, the series is beloved for many reasons, and I was just one of millions who grew up watching it. It's the series that made Selena Gomez the mega-star she became.

When this sequel was announced, fans were a little skeptical, considering that all Disney seems to be releasing lately are sequels, reboots, and remakes – and some have not been well-received despite the numerous upcoming live-action Disney remakes.

However, the new series is excellent and features just as much magic for fans as it does for newcomers. Gomez even advised the new leading star and has appeared as a guest on the show several times as Alex Russo. It's fun and garnered a Season 2 renewal, so clearly, there is still plenty of love for older TV shows to expand with revivals or sequels.

The Original Series Itself Is So Widely Beloved

Another big reason that this would be the perfect time for a reboot is that the comedy is a hugely beloved series.

Out of all the Disney shows that we could name, this series is always on that list as a top contender. The aforementioned Wizards of Waverly Place is obviously on there. Still, other shows include Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and That's So Raven.

Almost all of these shows have had some sequel series or reboot in some way, except for Hannah Montana (which is for obvious reasons). Zack and Cody essentially continued into its sequel series, The Suite Life on Deck (which was another favorite of mine). And That's So Raven had a reboot that ran for six seasons called Raven's Home. That's right, six.

Why couldn't Lizzie McGuire also be in those ranks? It would easily become a significant success with the amount of fans behind it.

The Reboot Faced Conflict Because Of Covid, But That's Not An Issue Anymore

I think the saddest part about all of this is that it's not even that the reboot had lots of problems behind the scenes – it mainly fell apart because of COVID-19, the blasted devil that decided to ruin all of our lives back in 2020.

According to an interview with E! News, Hillary Duff's co-star from the original series, Jake Thomas, said that it was really "bad timing" when it came to things falling apart:

Obviously, now, it's not as big of a deal as it used to be, and the opportunity to return to the series is right there.

The Cast Itself Has Expressed Interest In Doing It

Another big thing is that the cast has expressed interest in returning to the series. This isn't a case where they want to try and separate themselves from the characters. Many of them have wanted to come back, and they still hold onto the hope that it will happen.

In fact, the central star, Hillary Duff, has expressed a lot of optimism about returning to the reboot series. She spoke about it in an interview on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in January 2023 and said that she does think there's a chance it could happen again since Disney+ was very "new" at the time.

The article also stated that a significant reason the revival didn't move forward was due to creative differences between Disney and Duff, who wanted to make the reboot a little more "grown-up" for the millennials who watched the series. At the same time, Disney attempted to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere.

Now that Disney has acquired Hulu, it could easily produce that series and place it on Hulu for fans to watch rather than on Disney+. This would still keep the series within the Disney family, but allow for a more adult-oriented reboot. Duff even wrote about this in February 2020 on Instagram:

Yes, I totally agree, and I would want to see it 110%.

It Feels Like The Perfect Time To Bring It Back

I know that there are plenty of us who are tired of remakes, reboots, and sequels.

However, out of all the Disney shows, this one has truly endured in pop culture for years. There are so many fans who still adore this series and would tune in for an adult version of the show all these years later.

With the new reboots that have emerged and the proven success rate, it's clear that Disney could have a winner. It's just up to them to pull the trigger.

It's certainly not going to be on any 2025 TV schedule, but I hope that we get updates about this in the near future – and, if so, when I can stream it, because I'll be sitting on my couch with the popcorn ready.