One original star is skipping the long-awaited family reunion.

How to watch the *Malcolm in the Middle *revival — and what to expect

One original star is skipping the long-awaited family reunion.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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April 10, 2026 10:56 a.m. ET

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(Left to right) Justin Berfield as Reese, Emy Coligado as Piama, Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, and Chris Masterson as Francis on 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'. Credit:

Disney/David Bukach

- *Malcolm in the Middle *is back with a four-part revival event.

- Several original cast members are reprising their roles, including Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek.

- *Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair* is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.

It's been nearly two decades since Malcolm and his dysfunctional family last made us laugh, but they're finally returning to our TV screens.

*Malcolm in the Middle *is officially getting the revival treatment, and we have Bryan Cranston partly to thank for it. "I've been wanting to do this for years, but it needed to be for a good reason," said the Emmy winner in *'*s cover story about the revival. "The story needed to be there — otherwise we'd just be hanging out in someone's house."

Cranston spent the better part of a decade "nudging" creator Linwood Boomer about a reunion. "I was like that water torture test, dripping on [his] forehead," he told us. "Eventually, he just wanted the torture to stop."**

As the revival approaches, here's everything you need to know about *Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair*, including what it's about, how to watch it, and which original cast members are returning.**

How can I watch the *Malcolm in the Middle *revival?

(Left to right) Jonathan Craig Williams as Steve, Alex Morris as Trey, Gary Anthony Williams as Abe, Bryan Cranston as Hal, and John Marshall Jones as Brian on 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'.

Disney/David Bukach

All four episodes of *Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair* will premiere on Friday, April 10. They'll be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.

What is the *Malcolm in the Middle *revival about?

Bryan Cranston as Hal and Jane Kaczmarek as Lois on 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'.

Disney/David Bukach

*Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair* picks up nearly 20 years after the original series, and yes, Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is *still *embarrassed by his family.

Now an adult, Malcolm's got a girlfriend, Tristan (Kiana Madeira), a daughter, Leah (Keeley Karsten), and a desire to shield them — and himself — from the hubbub in which he grew up.

But the universe has other plans. When Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) rope him into attending their 40th wedding anniversary celebration, Malcolm can't escape the family drama. Just like that, the whole family's back together, and the unruly antics that made *Malcolm in the Middle *a classic are back in full force.

Is there a trailer for the Malcolm in the Middle revival?

The official trailer for *Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair* dropped on March 12, and it's pure family chaos from the start. It opens with Lois casually shaving Hal's back (and, well, *other places*) while Dewey (Caleb Ellsworth-Clark) watches in horror via video call.

From there, we catch up with Malcolm himself. "Yeah, I look different, but hey, everything about me *is *different," he tells us. He's got Tristan and Leah, and life is going great — so long as he stays far, far away from his family.

Where is the 'Malcolm in the Middle' cast now? See Frankie Muniz and the rest of the gang all grown up

'Malcolm in the Middle' star Erik Per Sullivan rejected 'buckets of money' for revival to do this instead

Of course, that plan doesn't last. It turns out Malcolm has been hiding his "fantastic" new life from everyone, including his famously dysfunctional kin. This leads Reese (Justin Berfield) to tell Hal, "I think we all knew Malcolm would eventually betray us."

Mayhem follows, and Malcolm yells, "This family's nonstop antisocial behavior and mindless myopic priorities are toxic to me!"

Still, Tristan tells Malcolm he needs to "make peace" with his family. He insists it's not just his parents causing problems, but also his brothers. That comes as a surprise to her, since she apparently didn't know they existed.

The trailer wraps up with a video call between Malcolm's family and Leah. Hal asks her, "What do you want to do when you grow up? Crush your father's soul and make him question his own identity?"

Who’s in the cast of the *Malcolm in the Middle *revival?

The cast of 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'.

Disney/David Bukach

Several members of the original cast are back for *Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair*. Muniz returns as the eponymous Malcolm, joined by Cranston, Kaczmarek, and Berfield. Chris Masterson is also back as Malcolm's eldest brother Francis, and Emy Coligado reprises her role as Francis' wife, Piama.

Reflecting on filming the revival, Muniz told EW, "It was the first time in my career as an actor that I was happy to have the label 'actor.' When I was a kid, I just showed up and said the words and it all worked out. Now, I'm making a plan going into the scene. Doing the prep makes the process really, really fun."

One original cast member who won't be returning is Erik Per Sullivan, who played Malcolm's oddball younger brother, Dewey. Per Sullivan has stepped away from acting since the original series ended, so Caleb Ellsworth-Clark will take over the role.

Still, creator and executive producer Linwood Boomer told EW he tried everything to bring him back — even writing a storyline where Dewey could appear via Zoom so Per Sullivan could film from home in a single day — but he wasn't interested in returning to the spotlight.

Caleb Ellsworth-Clark as Dewey on 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'.

Cranston previously explained why Per Sullivan chose to pass on the revival. "I talked to Erik and I said, 'Hey, we got the show! It's going to come back.' He goes, 'Oh, that's fantastic!'" Cranston recalled on the *Fly on the Wall *podcast in 2025. "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.'"

Per Sullivan is focused on a different career path. "He's actually going to Harvard," Cranston revealed. "He's really, really smart, and he's getting his master's 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.'"

New additions to the *Malcolm in the Middle *universe include Madeira as Tristan and Karsten as Leah. Anthony Timpano joins as a grown-up Jamie (the youngest brother born in season 4), and Vaughan Murrae plays the family's nonbinary teenager Kelly (a surprise sibling teased in the series finale).

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