The Dos and don’ts of the Disney+ ‘Lizzie McGuire’ reboot

Goodbye Lizzie McGuire, hello fabulous Lizzie McGuire reboot.

One of our favorite early 2000s Disney Channel teens — Hilary Duff, of course — is returning to her roots and reprising her beloved role as Lizzie McGuire. At the D23 Expo in August, Disney that a Lizzie McGuire sequel series will air exclusively on Disney+ and series creator Terri Minsky is onboard, in addition to Duff.

The original show about a teen and her friends navigating the challenges of middle school aired from 2001 to 2004, and the iconic Lizzie McGuire Movie — which showed Lizzie casually becoming a famous pop singer on a class trip to Rome, as one does — came out in 2003.

Currently, very little is known about the reboot, but Duff dropped a few details at the D23 announcement, including the fact that Lizzie will be turning 30 at the start of the series, “has her dream job,” “has her dream guy who owns a cool SoHo restaurant,” and “has her dream apartment in Brooklyn.”

While we await more details, here’s everything we know about present-day Lizzie so far, along with some key things fans want and definitely don’t want to see out of the reboot.

DO: Bring back old cast members

The original series was packed with supporting characters that fans grew to love, including Lizzie’s best friends Gordo (Adam Lamberg) and Miranda (Lalaine), her parents and mischievous brother Matt (Jake Thomas), crushes like Ethan Craft (Clayton Snyder), and even frenemies like Kate Sanders (Ashlie Brillault).

The original cast has since 2004, but there have been some small reunions over the years. As of Oct. 24, Lizzie’s parents (Hallie Todd and Robert Carradine) and brother (Thomas) will be returning as Jo, Sam, and Matt McGuire in new series, which is exciting! But in a perfect reboot, we’d see all the characters back together again. 

DON’T: Let Lizzie’s engagement last ?

Speaking of Gordo, or lack thereof, Lizzie is reportedly ENGAGED in the reboot — to some new rando SoHo-restaurant-owning boy and definitely not her geeky middle school admirer.

Unlike fans, who spent years hoping Gordo would one day successfully escape the friend-zone, Duff isn’t too torn up about the fact he’s not Lizzie’s perfect guy. “You know what, I don’t know if I was as devastated by that,” Duff Vulture about learning that Gordo wasn’t romantically in the picture. “I feel like them not being together is what was so good… it’s that one person that you’re like, Was he the one? Is it ever going to be? You’re always kind of wondering. We wanted it to hurt everyone a little bit, and it’ll continue to hurt.”

Duff does hope to see Lamberg in the reboot eventually, however. “I really hope he’s going to be involved,” she told the publication. “We’ve been planning out the season and coming up with what everything looks like, and it’s so important for him to be there for part of it.”

Not to sound rude, but we kind of hope Lizzie’s engagement doesn’t last. We want her to be happy and everything, but we’re also dying to see how she’d navigate the absolute hell that is dating as an adult.

DO: Hire exciting guest stars like Lizzo

Lizzie McGuire is no stranger to singing or meeting famous people, so it makes perfect sense to have a star like Lizzo on the show.

Lizzie McGuire Movie antics aside, remember when Lizzie met Steven Tyler in a holiday episode and he casually rode on her Christmas float dressed as Santa Claus? Or that time she befriended Frankie Muniz while he was in town shooting a movie, or starred in an Aaron Carter music video and kissed him under the mistletoe?

Image: Disney / Kobal / Shutterstock

It’s absolutely plausible that in her adult life Lizzie could encounter someone remarkably talented like Lizzo, and the “Truth Hurts” singer is 100 percent onboard. After news of the reboot broke, Lizzo tweeted her excitement and even requested a cameo in the forthcoming series.

Duff enthusiastically responded to Lizzo’s request, and said she was “hired.” Per Lizzo, the duo shall henceforth be known as Lizzo McGuire. Queens.

Once Lizzo makes a cameo, we’d also be down to see some familiar faces, such as any member of the Younger cast, or even Duff’s fiancé, singer Matthew Koma. Go big, Lizzie!

DON’T: Mess up the inclusion of animated Lizzie

One of the most charming things about the original Lizzie McGuire series was Lizzie’s animated self. The episodes would occasionally cut to a cartoon version of Lizzie, who would Go Off and share a hilariously honest and unfiltered inner teen monologue with viewers. At the time, the unique back-and-forth worked well, but the majority of viewers were also teens back then so when Duff announced that animated Lizzie would be returning alongside her in the reboot I imagine more than a few people — myself included — had a slightly concerned Kombucha Girl reaction.

Though Lizzie will be 30 in the new series, Duff confirmed at the D23 expo that “She is still dealing with that 13-year-old no-holds-barred animated Lizzie that’s constantly babbling in her adult Lizzie head … But I think that’s what’s going to make it really special.”

Will cartoon Lizzie still be wearing her signature pink tank top, blue capri pants, and orange platform flip flops? 

Unclear! We have so many questions. 

But if the show writers expect the original audience to tune in, they need to keep in mind that they’re older now too, and might be far less interested in watching a cartoon interrupt the show. Tread carefully with animated Lizzie, though perhaps if everyone thinks of her as a Bitmoji, things will be fine.

DO: Have Lizzie sporting stylish outfits galore

Teen Lizzie was known as a straight-up fashion queen, and we assume that hasn’t changed with age. She never shied away from a bold print, bedazzled fabric, or a statement hat, and even set out to be voted “Best Dressed” in her middle school yearbook.

“We toyed around with her being a fashion designer because that’s obviously a big part of the show,” Duff explained in an interview with , but she ultimately decided that career path would be “too obvious.”

Instead, in an with Good Morning America, Duff explained that when viewers reconnect with Lizzie she “has her dream job [as] an apprentice to an interior designer who is a pretty big deal.” Fashion may not be a part of Lizzie’s career, but we still want to see her flaunt her personal flair. The outfit Duff was seen wearing on the first day of filming is perfect. More of that, please.

DON’T: Act like Lizzie has it all figured out

Lizzie may have a dream job, apartment, and man at the start of the new series, but the Lizzie McGuire we know and love — like Marie Kondo — thrived best in a mess. She was awkward, clumsy, constantly crushing on boys, and definitely didn’t have life all figured out. The fact that she wasn’t perfect and had everyday, relatable struggles is what we loved about her, so we’re hoping we get to see Lizzie tackle some life crises in the reboot.

“There are big hurdles to climb over when you’re 30…”

Per Duff’s interview with Vulture, it sounds like Lizzie’s life might get a bit shaken up as the series progresses. “She’s not going to stay in Brooklyn too long, actually. That’s where she’s been, but she’ll be coming back to Los Angeles. She’s forced out of New York. She’s like, I can’t be here anymore,” Duff explained.

The actress also told GMA that Lizzie “gets some pretty big news at the end of the first episode,” which sounds incredibly vague and delightfully intriguing. “There are big hurdles to climb over when you’re 30 and if [Lizzie] can be there for all the women that are going through what she’s going through I’m so happy to step into the shoes again,” Duff said.

DO: Reference the original series

We’re excited to learn about New Lizzie’s life but how cool would it be if the writers threw in some old Lizzie references? Maybe 2020 will find a flustered 30-year-old Lizzie having a particularly hellish experience trying to use a coupon at Victoria’s Secret and she’ll have no choice but to scream her iconic past line, “I WANT A BRA!” again.

Perhaps someone will accuse her of being an “outfit repeater,” she’ll sing karaoke into a hairbrush, or she’ll stroll past a magazine stand in the city and see a juicy tabloid article about that little Italian snake, Paolo. You have to give the OG fans who are also around age 30 now and reluctantly making the conscious decision to pay actual money for a streaming service called Disney+ just to see the continuation of one of their favorite childhood shows something, girl.

The release date for the Lizzie McGuire series is still unknown, but it’ll be streaming on Disney+, which launches in the U.S. on Nov. 12.