Selena Gomez’s Alex Russo Broke New Ground for the Disney Channel (original) (raw)
custom image of Selena Gomez as Alex Russo holding a wand in Wizards of Waverly Place
Image by Zanda Rice
Published Nov 8, 2024, 5:23 PM EST
Claudia Picado is a Features Writer who has been covering film and television at Collider for nearly three years. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, but developed a love for cinema while studying at NYU, where she earned a BS in Media, Culture, and Communication, and a BA in Spanish. With her writing, she loves to explore the ways film and television both shape and reflect the world around us. Though she’ll watch pretty much anything, she is especially passionate about women-centered stories and the success of women both in front of and behind the camera.
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With the first nine episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place now streaming, the pilot episode, "Everything Is Not What It Seems," saw the iconic Alex Russo (Selena Gomez) return. The Wizards of Waverly Place reboot follows the now 34-year-old Justin Russo (David Henrie), and his sons Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko), with Gomez only appearing in a guest role. Though she may not be taking center stage in the new sequel series, it's worth remembering how groundbreaking Alex's character was when Wizards of Waverly Place first aired from 2007 to 2012. Not only was Alex the first Latina lead in a Disney Channel sitcom, but compared to the other female-led shows that were popular during that era, the snarky, self-assured protagonist of Wizards of Waverly Place was also Disney Channel's first anti-heroine.
Alex Russo Was Disney Channel’s First Anti-Heroine
Before Alex Russo, Disney Channel’s female leads like Lizzie McGuire (Hilary Duff), Raven Baxter (Raven Symoné), and Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus), were likable heroines who had their flaws, but were objectively easy to root for. Alex, however, is more of an anti-heroine. She doesn’t embody traditional heroic qualities and is seen as the “problem child,” always compared to her overachieving older brother Justin. She’s lazy, snarky, and often selfish, cutting corners and shirking her dad’s rules about magic to get what she wants, whether it be a passing grade or attention from her crush. She doesn’t care about school, but she's street smart, and her elaborate pranks and rule-breaking often land her in detention. Before Alex, the role of the mischievous troublemaker was typically reserved for Disney Channel's male characters, like Zack (Dylan Sprouse) of Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Jackson (Jason Earles) of Hannah Montana, but Wizards of Waverly Place let its female lead be messy, brash, and impulsive (but still lovable).
Since Wizards of Waverly Place is a children's show, Alex's rebelliousness and bad behavior does not go unpunished, and through her mistakes, she learns lessons about responsibility, hard work, honesty, and the importance of family. Despite her nonchalant, too-cool-for-school attitude, Alex has a good heart and plenty of aspirational qualities beyond just her magical abilities. As the middle child, she often bickers with Justin and Max (Jake T. Austin), but at the end of the day, cares deeply for her brothers. In the series finale, for instance, she chooses to help Justin over winning the Family Wizard Competition. Despite her flaws, Alex’s unwavering self-confidence, commitment to self-expression, and disregard for the opinions of others made her a unique role model for a generation of young girls. Alex was far from perfect, and that's what made her so cool.
Selena Gomez’s Performance Cemented Alex Russo as a Disney Icon
After brief guest roles in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Hannah Montana, with her lead role in Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez proved herself as Disney Channel’s next "It" girl. Long before she was garnering Emmy nominations for Only Murders in the Building, Gomez had impeccable comedic timing throughout her Disney Channel run as Alex Russo. She embodies Alex’s confidence and sense of humor in a way that feels totally authentic, and her quick-witted jabs always land in a way that’s funny but not overtly mean-spirited. Her apathetic, rebel without a cause type character could become tedious under different circumstances, but there is still plenty of bubbly energy behind Alex's snark. Though her dialogue is often dripping with sarcasm, Alex also makes dorky puns and laughs hysterically at her own jokes, and Gomez's effortlessly charismatic performance is what really makes Alex such a lovable character.
Alex gets herself into some truly bizarre situations using magic, and Gomez is able to pull off some great physical comedy throughout the series, whether she’s slipping through a puddle of melted chocolate or pretending to be Alex’s mom trapped inside Alex’s body. The dynamic between the three Russo siblings is an essential part of Wizards of Waverly Place, and Alex and Justin’s contentious but ever evolving relationship made for some of the show’s best moments, thanks in large part to Gomez and Henrie's chemistry. Like all Disney sitcoms, Wizards of Waverly Place is very lighthearted, but the strength of Gomez's performance doesn't waver during the more emotional moments, especially in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie.
After Wizards of Waverly Place, Disney Channel brought back the more cookie-cutter, wholesome female lead with shows like Good Luck Charlie and Austin & Ally. Now that she's made her return in the new Disney+ series, though, Alex Russo deserves her flowers as one of Disney's most unique protagonists and first anti-heroine.
The first nine episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place are now streaming on Disney+ in the United States.
Release Date
2024 - 2026-00-00
Network
Disney Channel
Directors
Andy Fickman, Victor González, Jody Margolin Hahn, Bob Koherr, Danielle Fishel, Robbie Countryman, Leonard R. Garner, Jr., Raven-Symoné
Writers
Brittany Assaly, Danielle Calvert, Molly Haldeman, Robin M. Henry, Rick Williams, Jorge Thomson, Brett Maier, Wesley Jermaine Johnson
Cast
Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora, Mimi Gianopulos, David Henrie, Kirsten Vangsness, John DiMaggio, Selena Gomez, Oscar Montoya, David DeLuise, Aiden Arnold, James Irving Kono, Darien Sills-Evans, Dee Bradley Baker, J.J. Nolan, Kristin Hensley, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Amir Talai, Adam Chambers, Patrick Bristow, Yuvi Hecht, Britt Chandler Johnson, Miguel Pinzon, Rory Keane, Caroline Valencia, DeRon J. Powell
Seasons
2