"Wizards of Waverly Place" Showrunner Reveals Selena Gomez's Character Was Meant to Be Bisexual
Selena Gomez's breakout role as Alex Russo on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place put her name on the map as the star we know and love today, but the young wizard's storyline could have taken a turn if one of her relationships had flourished differently. Wizards cast members Jennifer Stone, who played Alex's fashion-forward bestie Harper, and David DeLuise, who played Alex's dad, host a rewatch podcast Wizards of Waverly Pod, where they reminisce on their time together while creating the show with special guests, including leading lady Selena.
Peter Murrieta, who served as the show's executive producer and head writer, was the latest guest on the pod, and he revealed that Alex was originally meant to be openly bisexual. In season 3 of the beloved Disney Channel sitcom, Alex befriends fellow prank-loving wizard, Stevie Nichols (played by none other than "Lesbian Jesus," Hayley Kiyoko). Fans have long shipped the pair since the episodes originally aired, and Murrieta explained that the Wizards writers' room wanted to expand their relationship dynamic beyond friendship.
When asked about which storyline he wanted to explore further, Murrieta didn't hesitate. "I wished we could have played more with what was quite obvious to a lot of us was the relationship between Stevie and Alex. But we weren't able to in that time…it was pretty clear to all of us what that relationship was. That would've been fun," he explained.
Jennifer Stone then responded, "If we were just a few years down the line, we maybe could have played with that." Murrieta went on to reference Disney shows that have included openly queer characters, like The Owl House and Andi Mack.
"At the time it wasn’t a thing," he said about openly LGBTQ+ characters in 2000s-era Disney Channel. "But, we got as close as we could. I mean it was pretty close. It was pretty much right there."
Hayley herself even weighed in on Stevie and Alex's relationship with a hilarious TikTok. Using the green screen feature on the app, the "For the Girls" singer posed in front of a fanmade edit with text that reads, "Me being told to play Alex's 'bestie' on Wizards." She lip-synced, "Are you sure about that?" while the bisexual flag bordered clips of her and Selena from the show.
If you haven't already, catch the latest episode of Wizards of Waverly Pod below.
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