Wizards of Waverly Place Showrunner Wishes They Explored Love Story Between Alex and Stevie
A Wizards of Waverly Place showrunner states Alex and Stevie’s friendship was meant to be more, but it wasn’t allowed to be on Disney at the time.
Earlier this year Wizards of Waverly Place co-stars, Jennifer Stone, and David DeLuise started a podcast called the “Wizards of Waverly Pod,” where they go over and reflect on the series. Showrunner and writer, Peter Murrieta, joined the most recent podcast episode, relaying his experiences. In doing so, he confirmed that Alex and Stevie’s relationship was more than just friendly.
Murrieta noted he wanted to explore the possibilities of the pair more. But at the time, Disney wouldn’t allow a queer relationship on a children’s’ series, or at least not an obvious one. Still, the reality of Alex and Stevie’s friendship was clear to many, audiences and those on set alike.
alex and stevie https://t.co/V7NtAamTS7 pic.twitter.com/bD6mHwxaMS
— vic ⎊⧗ᱬ✵४ mandalorian and s&b era (@frostironat) January 15, 2023
Selena Gomez took on the role of the main character, Alex Russo, a spunky, edgy teen who loves to mess with magic. Hayley Kiyoko portrayed Stevie, a new friend Alex meets at school. The two quickly bonded and their friendship blossomed even further when they realize they were both wizards.
While Stevie’s character is only present for a few episodes of the series, the duo had more potential than what we see on screen. On the podcast, Stone, DeLuise, and Murrieta all agreed on this. “It was pretty clear to all of us what that relationship was,” Murrieta noted. They acknowledge that pursuing a romantic relationship between two teenage women would be okay now. Audiences were just a few years behind the acceptance of it.
Kiyoko had also been in various Disney properties such as the infamous film, Lemonade Mouth, and guest starred in Disney XD’s Zeke and Luther. She also starred as Velma Dinkley in Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins. On top of all her achievements, she was also featured on the cover of Glitter Magazine in 2011.
@HayleyKiyoko on Glitter Magazine! @glittermagazine pic.twitter.com/4ZnM6tYS
— Annie Carty (@acartyaj6) September 25, 2012
Kiyoko is now an incredible singer, kicking off her music career with the 2015 track “Girls Like Girls.” Ironically, looking back on Kiyoko’s acting roles, it’s clear that she portrayed many queer characters. But because it was never explicitly stated, many fans are figuring this out later on. The singer even re-tweeted a meme about it.
hayley kiyoko watching all her past characters turn out gay pic.twitter.com/KtqA4lznIE https://t.co/t7wCOPA5yn
— mya (@aeoqra) March 28, 2023
While we can’t go back in time and change Alex and Stevie’s relationship, luckily, we still have their friendship. From laughs to bonding moments and a bit of wizarding hijinks, the duo’s time together on Wizards of Waverly Place is beautiful.
Listen to the “Wizards of Waverly Pod” podcast here. Hear everything else Murrieta tells Stone and DeLuise this week below.
Writer | Tweet me @rachelnazar
