'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA//aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAwWRz/8QAHxAAAQMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEDBAAFERYxMkVR/9oACAEBAAE/ALdLajWxZCRxccamiiOcSPIkWC9HetRZ66LX/8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgAREv/aAAgBAgEBPwDaCsz/xAAXEQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIR/9oACAEDAQE/AFKtZR//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 1 is the sequel to the Disney Channel classic series Wizards of Waverly Place, which originally aired from 2007 to 2012. Given the 12-year gap between the ending of the original series and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 1, several characters from the original series have been replaced with new ones that cover similar archetypes.
Even returning characters, such as Justin Russo (played by David Henrie) play a different role in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place season 1 compared to the original series. Thus requiring that a new character fulfill Justin's original archetype in the sequel series.
The character roles that have been replaced in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place season 1 are Alex Russo with Billie, Justin Russo with Roman, Max Russo with Milo, Harper Finkle with Winter, Theresa Russo with Giada, and Jerry Russo with Justin Russo.
Trending
Character role changes in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 1
1) Alex Russo is now Billie
Alex Russo, played by Selena Gomez, was the original female lead of Wizards of Waverly Place. While the character does return in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place season 1 in a guest role, a new character named Billie, fulfills Alex's role in the sequel series.
Like Alex, Billy proves to be a rebellious teenager. She grew up in the Wizarding World, where she exasperated all of her tutors until none of them wanted to deal with her anymore. However, Justin Russo eventually adopts her into his wizarding family, setting the stage for the numerous hijinks she gets up to during the show.
2) Justin Russo is now Roman
With Justin having grown into the patriarch of the Russo family, the role of the geeky male sibling has been passed on to Roman Russo.
In the original Wizards of Waverly Place, Justin often served as the responsible elder brother who got dragged into his sister's rebellious antics. In contrast to Alex, he was a far more studious person who preferred to play by the rules.
Similarly, Roman Russo proves to be a stickler for focusing on his homework, and playing by the rules, while Billy is more inclined to break them. As with Justin and Alex in the original series, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 1 sees Roman get dragged into his adoptive sister's schemes in spite of his better judgment.
3) Max Russo is now Milo Russo
Max Russo, played by Jake T Austin, was the youngest sibling in the original Wizards of Waverly Place. He generally had his own distinct subplots in the series and had his fun while Alex and Justin were off doing their hijinks.
Milo Russo is also the youngest sibling of the new Russo family and goes to a different school from Roman and Billie. This allows him the room to have his own independent character arc, as he comes into his own without being overshadowed by his elder siblings.
4) Harper Finkle is now Winter
In the original Wizards of Waverly Place, Harper Finkle was Alex's best friend. Considerably more shy and awkward than the extroverted Alex, she often found herself dragged into her friend's antics while serving as a humanizing influence that kept Alex grounded.
In Wizards Beyond Waverly Place season 1, Winter starts out as Roman Russo's friend, but Billie immediately takes a shine to her after coming to school. Like Harper, Winter is an intelligent person who has trouble connecting with others due to her lack of social skills, which draws her to the charismatic Billie.
5) Theresa Russo is now Giada Russo
Theresa Russo was the family matriarch in the original Wizards of Waverly Place. She had no knowledge of the wizarding world until she married into Jerry's family, following which the magical hijinks of her children dominated her life.
Theresa was the most grounded member of the family and ran a sandwich shop to make ends meet. Similar to her, Giada Russo also starts out not knowing much about the magical world prior to her marriage to Justin Russo. However, she proves to be a sharp woman as evidenced by her job as an investigative reporter, and discovers the truth soon after Billie's adoption.
6) Jerry Russo is now Justin Russo
And finally, Jerry Russo's role is fulfilled by none other than a grown-up Justin Russo. His levelheaded, diligent nature made him perfectly suited to becoming the principal of Wiztech before an incident led to his dismissal.
Deciding to follow in his father's footsteps, he left his life of wizardry behind and chose to marry a non-wizard woman and start a normal life. However, just like Jerry, he ends up entangled in the world of wizardry anyway due to his children.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Season 1 aims to evoke nostalgia for that era of the Disney Channel, by revisiting character archetypes from the original series while at the same time putting its own spin on things. The series is available to stream on Disney+.
