Malcolm in the Middle returning with Bryan Cranston and original stars... but fans have MIXED response

Fans of Malcolm in the Middle have reasons to rejoice as Disney+ is bringing the series back.

The series will feature original stars Frankie Muniz, 39, Bryan Cranston, 68, and Jane Kaczmarek, 68.

The revival will be a limited series with four episodes. No premiere date has been announced as of this writing. 

The theme of the story picks up in present day, with the official logline stating, 'Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter are drawn into the family's chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.'

Disney+ shared the news on Instagram with a post featuring the three actors. 

Jane and Bryan were calling for Malcom, while Frankie said, 'Yes I hear you. I'm coming.' 

The president of Disney Branded Television Ayo Davis released a statement about reviving the beloved sitcom.

'Malcolm in the Middle' is a landmark sitcom that captured the essence of family life with humor, heart and relatability. 

'Its hilarious and heartfelt portrayal of a lovably chaotic family resonated with audiences of all ages.

'We're so excited to welcome the original cast back to bring that magic to life again. 

'With Linwood Boomer [the original creator of the series] and the creative team at the helm, these new episodes will have all the laughs, pranks, and mayhem fans loved — along with a few surprises that remind us why this show is so timeless.' 

Malcolm in the Middle aired on Fox from 2000 to 2006 and alongside Muniz, Cranston and Kaczmarek it starred Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan, and Christopher Masterson. 

'Malcolm in the Middle literally changed the face of the television comedy landscape when it premiered two decades ago, redefining what the genre could be,' Karey Burke, president of 20th Television said in a statement to Variety.

'When Linwood Boomer suggested it might be time to bring everyone's favorite dysfunctional family back for a bit of a reunion, we couldn't think of a more iconic and influential series to revisit, along with a truly brilliant cast to reunite.' 

The revival of the series is expected to air just in time for the 25th anniversary of the debut of the sitcom.

It has not yet been revealed if Hal and Lois' other two children, played by Christopher Kennedy Masterson and Justin Berfield, as heir two eldest sons Francis and Reese, will be part of the reboot.

However, given the event of the parents' 40th wedding anniversary, it really only makes sense to include the entire family. 

Fan of the series are having a mixed reaction to the news on X (formerly Twitter). 

Overwhelmingly, fans were excited about the reboot, but chuffed that it is only going to be four episodes. 

Other fans were in fear of the update being too 'woke,' with one writing: 'Nooooo, they’re going to make it woke,' while another quipped, 'Bryan Cranston is a woke turd.'

And a third fan called the reboot unnecessary, writing, 'I'm sorry but there's no need for this. The show was great and nothing about this will help that show's legacy.'

Since Malcolm went off the air, Cranston has had meteoric success with Breaking Bad. 

Kaczmarek played judge Judy Kessler in 25 episodes of Raising the Bar and has had a slew of guest starring roles in the time since Malcolm aired. 

Muniz, meanwhile switched careers to become a NASCAR race car driver.

'I don't want to say it's a long time coming, but this has been a dream of mine for forever,' he told People in October. 

'I started with doing the open wheel route. I thought I was going to go IndyCar, kind of the Formula 1 route, but I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to try NASCAR.

'I wanted to do it. I grew up watching NASCAR. I was a huge fan, but it's not something I necessarily thought that I'd ever get the opportunity to do. I want people to know that I've literally dedicated my life to this.

'When I'm not in the race car, I'm thinking about being in the race car. I'm training, I'm in the simulator at Ford, the Ford Performance Technical Center. I'm working with my engineers and my crew chiefs and the team and doing everything I can.'

In 2023, Muniz competed in the ARCA Menards Series, finishing fourth at the end of the season with one top-five finish and 11 top-10s.

The kid from Malcolm in the Middle is racing in NASCAR. You know what I mean? And that's what people say, but I am. I did it.'I don't want to just have made it to NASCAR.'

'I want, when people think of the truck series, they think of NASCAR that they think of, oh, 'I want to watch Frankie. He's competitive." So I'm doing everything I can.'

Last month he was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday night.

The former I'm A Celebrity star was slightly injured during the pileup, which took place during the 99th lap of the 150 lap race at the Phoenix raceway.

According to Sportskeeda, the former Malcom in the Middle star's #27 Ford F-150 was involved in the crash after fellow driver Connor Mosack hit the wall on the second turn.

After medics gave him the all clear, the driver spoke about the disappointing end to the race.

Muniz, who has signed with RBR teams to go full-time in 2025, tried to see the bright side of the experience.

'I felt like I got a good opportunity to run with some guys,' he told journalist Peter Strata in an interview posted on X,' I made a few passes, lost a few a spots on re-starts... it was good for me to figure out how to get by people... so that was really positive.'

Describing the crash, he said, 'There was no where for me to go. I got hit from behind into the 42 and then the 42 got moved and the 18 was stopped and I went right into him. I don't feel there was anything I could have done there,' he explained.