Frankie Muniz has provided fans with a first glimpse of the Malcolm in the Middle reboot, despite the absence of a key cast member for its upcoming release.
Set to premiere in December 2025, the new episodes of Malcolm in the Middle will feature a grown-up Malcolm and his siblings reuniting for their parents Hal and Lois’ 40th wedding anniversary celebration.
Muniz’s return as Malcolm was confirmed, and Disney+ announced that the reboot will consist of four episodes.
Earlier this year, Muniz announced that filming for the reboot had wrapped up, bringing anticipation for fans to a peak.
“Just wrapped filming the Malcolm in the Middle reboot, and man, I’m still reeling,” he shared on X.
“This experience was straight-up incredible – like stepping back into Malcolm’s wild world but with all the love and chaos cranked to 11.”
Muniz continued: “It went by so fast, like a blur of perfect moments. I wish it could go on forever.
“I’m so happy to have gotten the chance to relive being on this show with a greater appreciation of what we were making knowing how many people around the world truly love Malcolm and his family.”
Muniz provided a sneak peek of the Malcolm in the Middle set earlier this week by posting a photo with Justin Berfield and Christopher Masterson.
The actor wrote: “I was told not to post this yet, but then I listened to this song. I’m just too excited for y’all to see the new episodes and I miss my brothers.”
While Bryan Cranston is reprising his role as dad Hal, Muniz will return as Malcolm, Justin Berfield as Reese, and Jane Kaczmarek as Lois. However, Erik Per Sullivan, who portrayed Dewey, will not be part of the reboot.
For the reboot, the beloved character Dewey will be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, as Sullivan declined the role.
Cranston explained the situation on Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast.
“I talked to Erik and I said, ‘hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back’. He goes, ‘oh, that’s fantastic!’, and I go, ‘yeah, so we’re looking forward to having you back’. He goes, ‘oh, no, no, I don’t want to do it. But it’s fantastic’,” Cranston shared.
“He’s actually going to Harvard.”
Spade suggested that Sullivan is ‘a normal person now’, to which Cranston responded: “Well, I don’t think – he’s not normal, because he’s really – not in my circle normal – he’s really, really smart and he’s getting, I think he’s getting his masters at Harvard right now.
“He said ‘oh, God no, I haven’t acted since I was nine or something, so I’m not into it’.”