More than a decade after saying goodbye to Wizards of Waverly Place, Gregg Sulkin was more than ready to step back into one of his most beloved roles — but his return wasn’t exactly what fans were expecting.
Warning: Major spoilers below for the final season of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.
The actor, 34, reprised his role as fan-favorite werewolf Mason Greyback in the four-part Wizards Beyond Waverly Place finale, which aired on Disney Channel Tuesday, August 4. But the highly anticipated comeback came with a twist few saw coming: Alex Russo’s (Selena Gomez) first love died sometime before the events of the sequel series.
While the revelation surely came as a shock to viewers, Sulkin approached Mason’s fate the same way he would any other role — by trusting the creative team to deliver the best story possible.
“For me, I focus on what I think every actor does: on the script and turning the scene into the best it possibly can be,” Sulkin exclusively told Us ahead of the series finale. “The rest I left up to the writers. The writers are very capable, very talented. I think the Disney brand is one of the most successful in the world for a reason. And so, when they come up with story lines or when they go into specific directions with characters for many different reasons, it’s one of those where I just put my hands up, respect the decision, and then do my best with that.”
The original Wizards of Waverly Place aired from 2007 to 2012, with Sulkin joining in season 3 as Mason, the witty werewolf who quickly became Alex’s most popular boyfriend. More than a decade later, the Disney Channel franchise returned with Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, bringing back several familiar faces while introducing a new generation of young wizards.
The four-part finale followed teen wizard Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) as she searched for Alex after discovering the pair are mother and daughter. Trapped in an alternate universe with amnesia, Alex reunited with her best friend Harper (Jennifer Stone) and Mason.
At first, it appeared Mason and Alex had found their way back to each other, with the werewolf even preparing to propose. But Alex eventually regained her memories and realized the life she was seeing couldn’t be real — because Mason had already died.
Although Sulkin fully trusted the creative team with Mason’s fate, the actor did have a few ideas of his own when bringing the character back.
“There were certain callbacks that I wanted to make, and there were certain things that I thought the fans would appreciate if they heard out of my mouth,” Sulkin said with a smile. “A couple of line changes and a few little Easter eggs for the original fans. It definitely was a collaborative experience and a collaborative effort.”
Sulkin also clarified that while Mason is gone at the moment, he may not be gone forever.
“That’s not to say that there cannot be a spinoff in the future of potentially a prequel of all the years leading up to [his death],” Sulkin teased. “So, you know, I wouldn’t say Mason is [totally gone]. I mean, he’s dead for now.”
Whatever the future may hold, saying yes to a Wizards return was never really in doubt for Sulkin.
“I was really happy to be part of the original show. I mean, the original show meant so much to me,” he told Us. “It opened up so many opportunities, so many doors, and it was a show that I was always grateful for.”
While he knew the revival was in the works before it was publicly announced, Sulkin says he always felt his return needed to happen organically.
“I always knew that they wanted me to come back. I think it was just a matter of finding the perfect moment, the perfect time, the perfect storyline,” he explained. “Also, respecting the old characters, respecting the original show, but also giving space for this new show to breathe.”
Ultimately, returning allowed him the chance to thank everyone who helped shape those formative years of his career.
“It was an opportunity for me to say thank you to all the fans that supported me on the original show,” Sulkin continued, adding, “It was an opportunity to close a very beautiful chapter in my life. … And also to say thank you to the crew for being such an amazing support system at a very pivotal point in my own personal life.”
Despite the years between projects, stepping back into Mason’s shoes — and being back opposite Gomez — came naturally. “I think it took me about three seconds,” Sulkin joked. “It was a really surreal experience. It took Selena and me simply looking at each other on set and it was like, ‘OK, we’re back.”
Sulkin wasn’t even dismayed by the short amount of prep time before filming. “I can prep this all day long, but the feelings that I feel once I go back to set, working with Selena, working with Jen, it’s going to sort of all go out the window because there are so many emotions,” he said.
“I think some things in life you can’t force, and I think Selena and I’s professional chemistry since the start of the show was so strong that, and so natural that I felt that I just felt at ease,” he added of his special dynamic with Gomez, 33. “To come back many years later, nothing really had changed. Maybe I had a few more lines on my forehead, but apart from that, it was pretty much the same.”
Although Alex ultimately moved on from Mason, Sulkin doesn’t believe their love story ever truly ended — and urged viewers who may be disappointed to do the same.
“When you say Mason and Alex didn’t end up together, yes, in a way they didn’t,” he told Us. “But I do believe that, in Mason’s heart, anyway, they did in a way. Because I think there is so much love between them.”
“Whether or not they ended up with different partners and went on different approaches, I think the love that they have for each other is so deep and so real,” Sulkin added. “I couldn’t say that they didn’t end up together because I think in their heart they will always hold on to each other deep down.”
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is streaming on Disney+ now.
