In a recent episode of the “Wizards of Waverly Pod,” the former showrunner Peter Murrieta discussed the missed opportunity to explore a queer romance in the popular Disney Channel series. The show aired from 2007 to 2012 and followed the Russo family, who are part wizards and part humans, as they compete in a family wizard competition. Murrieta expressed regret that the relationship between Alex Russo, played by Selena Gomez, and her friend Stevie Nichols, played by Hayley Kiyoko, was never explored further. He described their bond as “quite obvious” and expressed disappointment that the storyline could not be pursued at the time.
Stevie appeared in the show for four episodes, and her character’s body was frozen and later shattered into multiple pieces. Murrieta, along with former co-stars Jennifer Stone and David DeLuise, agreed that a queer romance between Alex and Stevie would have been an interesting subplot.
Although the show did not explore a queer romance, Murrieta did reveal some of his plans for the series finale. He wanted to create a full-circle moment by having Harper, played by Stone, reading a story about the Russo family to a group of children. Murrieta also discussed a potential reboot, imagining that Alex would be married to a werewolf, and her brother Justin would be married to a vampire. The new generation of Russos would continue the family wizard competition, perpetuating the cycle.
While the show did not explore queer romance during its initial run, it is worth noting that the Disney Channel has since included LGBTQ+ storylines in some of its programming. The Wizards of Waverly Place may have missed an opportunity, but the conversation around representation in media continues to evolve.