David Henrie has heard those crazy rumors that Wizards Beyond Waverly Place killed off Selena Gomez’s character, Alex Russo — and he’s ready to set the record straight.
“When you make something, you have certain expectations, and then when it comes out, there’s a whole other set of expectations that you had no idea are going to emerge,” Henrie, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his partnership with Butterball’s Thanksgiving Hosting Pants. “I didn’t think in a million years anyone would think Alex was dead. In fact, nobody making the show thought people would assume Alex is dead.”
Season 2 of Wizards, which released on Disney+ last month, caught back up with Alex’s protegé, Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), as she continued to adjust to the mortal world while living and practicing her wizardry with Justin Russo (Henrie) and his family.
Things took a turn during the season finale when Billie was kidnapped and nearly dragged to an alternate dimension by the evil Lord Morsus. She was saved in the episode’s final moments, however, when Alex’s tears reversed a memory spell that revealed she is Billie’s mother — and Lord Morbus’ son, Damian, is Billie’s dad. To save her daughter, Alex jumped into the open portal, dragging Morsus along with her.
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Shortly after the finale was released, fans took to social media in panic that Alex had been killed off the show for good, with many condemning the series for the shocking decision. The theories quickly went viral, leaving Henrie and the rest of the Wizards cast and crew “flabbergasted” by the confused response.
“No one saw that reaction coming. Nobody,” Henrie said, explaining the series of events that led to the viral rumor. “Someone just put it online as if it’s what happened, and then suddenly the whole Internet just believed it. We were never trying to kill Alex Russo, she just went through a portal off into another realm!”
As for where Alex actually is, Henrie promised that — along with many other questions — will be answered should the show be picked up for a season 3. “We will absolutely answer the question of what happened to her, because it’s a valid question,” he said. “You know, she went through a massive portal. What the heck happened? We will dig into that.”
Henrie confirmed that the series will also delve more into who Billie’s father, a.k.a Alex’s husband, is (or was) by exploring the past. That means “retracing old footsteps and rediscovering old characters” is also on the table, including what happened between Alex and her Wizards of Waverly Place werewolf boyfriend, Mason (Gregg Sulkin).
“It is absolutely safe to say that,” Henrie replied when asked if viewers will find out what happened to Alex and Mason’s fan favorite romance, which was going strong when the original series wrapped up in 2012. (Wizards of Waverly Place aired for four seasons from 2007 to 2012. The revival returned to record breaking numbers in 2024.)
As for who will play Damion, Henrie — who also serves as an executive producer on the show with Gomez — told Us he’s “absolutely” heard the the popular fan request to cast Disney alum Jordan Fisher in the role, but also has someone else in mind.
“We’ll look into [Jordan[ for sure, because I know people really want that, but the guy who I would really push for is a friend of mine named Lamorne Morris,” Henrie said, noting that he and the New Girl star are interested in doing projects their kids can enjoy. “I think he would be amazing. I haven’t spoken to him about this yet, but I’m planning to when the time is right. And you know, who knows what happens?”
Fans will need to wait and see what comes next for Justin, Alex Billie and the rest of the magical gang as Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has yet to be picked up for a third season by Disney. For now, Henrie is pivoting his focus from his sitcom family to real-life family as he prepares to host Thanksgiving for the first time — a task that’s been made easier by Butterball’s new Thanksgiving Hosting Pants.
The pants, which serve as a fun and functional solution to help holiday hosts get a leg up and feel confident going into holiday chaos, are comfortable, stylish and ensure hosting essentials are always in reach. In addition to a bespoke pocket for a meat thermometer, the pants also contain a phone pocket emblazoned with 1-800-BUTTERBALL, ready for all hosting questions to easily reach the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line experts, a towel loop — Henrie’s favorite accessory — and a built-in bottle opener.
“The pants are a reminder to have fun, because I tend [to lean] toward perfectionism and wanting everything exactly right on Thanksgiving, to the point where it takes all the fun out of it,” Henrie confessed. “So for me, I can have my normal attitude of wanting to everything right, but at the same time, I can always look down and remember, ‘Oh, this is supposed to be fun.’”
But it’s not all about having style. “They also help me be more efficient, because it’s got all these gadgets and gizmos to help you,” he added. “ You got your weapons on you, so you’re totally in like, a Commando gearing up scene, ready for battle.”
As for any other tips Henrie can give to someone who’s also preparing to host their first major holiday dinner this year, Henrie said it’s all about preparation.
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“Either do a dry run where you actually do the thing first and you get all your issues out of the way ahead of time, or just cook everything the night before,” he explained. “The sooner you can cook everything and get it done and sitting, the more you can actually enjoy yourself. The night before, just set the table, get all the silverware out, cook whatever desserts you can cook to keep them sitting.”
Lastly, the right guest list is everything.
“Make sure to invite people that win or lose will have a great time,” he told Us. “So if you mess a couple things up, they’re going to love it, and they’re going to have fun with you. Or, if you’re not done cooking, they’re going to cook with you! Just make sure you’re inviting people over that you will celebrate with regardless of victory.”
