Malcolm In The Middle fans devastated as major character recast in show reboot

The popular US sitcom Malcolm In The Middle is set to return for a four-episode special on Disney+ but one major character has been recast.

Familiar faces Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield will come back reprising the roles of Malcolm, Hal, Lois, Francis and Reese. However, Malcolm’s younger brother, Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan, will be replaced by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, who appeared in Fargo (2023), The Silencing (2020) and Nightmare Alley (2021).

Erik will be a significant absence in the cast as he took on the role of Dewey in Malcolm In The Middle from 2000 to 2006. Fans have reacted to this news on social media platform X.

Discussing Film posted a photo of the original sitcom lineup with the caption: “Dewey is being recast for the ‘MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE’ revival series with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over the role. Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield will return as Malcolm’s brothers Francis and Reese.”

The tweet, posted on March 25, has amassed 5.5 million views, 43,000 likes, 3,700 retweets and more than 800 comments. One X user said: “He was one of the best characters in it. Not a good start.”

Another added: “This is sad. It will be terrible and not the show it was. Hollywood has lost the plot on creativity.”

A third user chimed in: “This almost makes me not even want to watch it. If the actor doesn’t want to come back, then just leave the character out of the show. Why in the world do they think replacing him with another actor is a good idea?”

A fourth commented: “Actually the worst character to get recast. Dewey and Hal’s chemistry carried some of the best moments.”

Others shared the opinion that instead of recasting Dewey, his character should have been “written off”, for example by making it “seem like he’s in the army.” You might be wondering why Erik Per Sullivan, 33-years-old, will not be in the revival series and the reason is simple: he is no longer an actor.

His last acting credit was an appearance in the 2010 film Twelve when he was 18-years-old. Jane Kaczmarek, Erik’s Malcolm In The Middle co-star and on-screen mom confirmed he is “very, very well” in a candid YouTube interview with Malcolm France last year.

She added: “We did Malcolm for seven years, he started when he was seven, ended when he was 14, he wasn't interested in acting at all. He goes to school at a very prestigious American university that he has asked us all to be quiet about.

“He loves Charles Dickens, he is doing graduate work in Victorian literature. I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world and it’s not for everybody.”