Is Selena Gomez’s Alex Russo… dead?! That’s the burning question fans are asking after watching the Season 2 finale of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. The episode, titled “The Wizard at the End of the World: Part Two,” delivered one of the most emotional twists in Disney Channel history. Let’s break it down.
The finale revealed a bombshell: Alex is actually the mother of series protagonist Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown). Years earlier, Alex wiped everyone’s memories — including her own — to protect Billie from her evil grandfather, Nicodemus Penwolf, a.k.a. Lord Morsus. She secretly dropped Billie off at wizarding boarding school to keep her safe, setting the stage for the series’ most emotional moment yet.
During the episode, Alex’s secret is finally exposed when a single tear falls onto a Penwolf locket, revealing the truth to everyone. The emotional mother-daughter reunion is short-lived, though, because moments later, Alex makes the ultimate sacrifice. In a final act of bravery, she pushes Morsus through a dangerous portal and lets it close behind them — trapping herself on the other side.
The episode ended without confirming whether Alex is truly dead or simply stuck in the world of dark magic. Disney left her fate ambiguous, sparking a frenzy among fans. On social media, viewers flooded X and TikTok with tributes mourning Alex’s apparent death and demanding answers.
Adding to the uncertainty is Selena Gomez’s limited involvement with the series. The actress has appeared in just four of the 31 episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, leading many to speculate this finale could be her character’s exit — or at least a long absence.
At the time of writing, Disney Channel and Disney+ have not renewed the series for a third season. But given the dramatic cliffhanger, it seems unlikely that one of Disney’s most iconic franchises would end with Alex Russo’s presumed death.
David Henrie, who plays Justin Russo, hyped up the finale in an interview with TV Insider, calling it “probably the most cliffhanger season we’ve had in Wizards history. People are going to want answers to the questions that we ask.” A potential third season could easily center on a magical rescue mission to bring Alex home — an arc that would likely drive the entire season.
Henrie also teased fans on X after the finale aired, tweeting, “Just so you know, Alex Russo is tougher than you think – and there’s a lot more to come. You’re asking all the right questions. Stay tuned, #WizardsBeyond has got some magical surprises up our sleeves.”
