# Wizards star refutes Jake T. Austin’s claim of being excluded from revival 2026-08-08T10:55:35+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet David Henrie, star and producer of the Wizards of Waverly Place revival Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, has denied claims by original cast member Jake T. Austin that he was deliberately excluded from the show. Henrie posted on Instagram that Austin was offered the role of Max through calls, texts, and agents multiple times but never gave a proper response. Showrunner Scott Thomas backed Henrie on X, saying Austin was asked "multiple times by many people" and did not respond. Austin earlier said he was asked in 2020 and agreed, but the show went a different direction. Austin, who played Max in the original series and its 2012 film, told fans he was "disappointed" and blamed unnamed producers. The revival stars Henrie as Justin and features Selena Gomez, but Max never appeared. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: casting dispute, David Henrie, Disney revival, Instagram controversy, Jake T. Austin, Wizards of Waverly Place Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/wizards-star-refutes-jake-t-austins-claim-of-being-excluded-from-revival/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/wizards-star-refutes-jake-t-austins-claim-of-being-excluded-from-revival/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.