David Henrie and Selena Gomez Spill the Beans on Jake T. Austin's Character's 'Billionaire' Destiny in Wizards Reboot

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has made a triumphant return after 12 years, reuniting Justin and Alex Russo on screen. However, the absence of the youngest Russo sibling, Max, played by Jake T. Austin, has left fans wondering. David Henrie takes the lead in the Disney Channel reboot, reprising his role as Justin, now a family man who has moved on from his wizarding days. Selena Gomez also made a guest appearance as Alex, bringing a young wizard named Billie to Justin's doorstep in hopes of him becoming her mentor.

Despite Jake T. Austin's absence from the show, his character's fate is subtly revealed in the premiere episode. It is disclosed that Max has taken over his father's business empire and now runs a thriving sandwich shop franchise. When Billie mistakes Justin for the billionaire owner of the sandwich shops, Justin corrects her, stating that the real billionaire is Max. Justin, now a middle school vice principal, humorously claims that his job is cooler than being a billionaire, a sentiment echoed by Alex and Billie.

When the reboot was announced earlier this year, David Henrie reassured fans on Instagram after concerns were raised by David DeLuise, who played Jerry Russo. Henrie confirmed that the original cast would return for the series, a promise he fulfilled as DeLuise reprised his role as Jerry. However, Max and the Russo matriarch, Theresa, are yet to make an appearance in the reboot.

Following his time on Wizards of Waverly Place, Jake T. Austin, now 29, ventured into The Fosters for two seasons before taking a step back from the limelight. In an interview with Flaunt, Austin candidly shared his struggles with the pressures of Hollywood, admitting to making poor choices and not taking his work seriously. He reflected on losing touch with himself after years of portraying characters on screen, acknowledging the challenges of growing up in the public eye.

Despite his personal journey, Austin maintains a friendship with Selena Gomez, who fondly teased him in a recent Vanity Fair video. Gomez playfully questioned Austin's unresponsiveness to her texts, reminiscing about his charm and popularity with the ladies during their time on set. She affectionately praised his transformation, emphasizing her admiration for him.