Plot of Canceled 'Lizzie McGuire' Reboot Unveiled: Involves Hookup with Childhood Crush Ethan Craft, Writer Discloses

The show Lizzie McGuire was set for a reboot on Disney+ four years ago but was ultimately cancelled. Jonathan Hurwitz, the show's writer, recently revealed what fans could have expected from the show's revival, including transitions into the adult life of its main character, Lizzie, played by Hilary Duff. This even included a potential romantic square-off with her old flame, Ethan Craft.

Jonathan released a TikTok video on January 17th where he explained that the initial episodes of the remake were already recorded before the project was terminated. According to Jonathon, Lizzie had a career as an interior designer in New York in the new series. In addition, she was involved in a romantic relationship with a charismatic chef, who betrayed her by starting an affair with her closest friend.

This devastating revelation forces Lizzie to leave New York and return to California. "Lizzie goes back to her family’s home we all watched during the original series. Here, in her childhood bedroom, animated Lizzie has been waiting for her,” Jonathan noted.

He went on to address a fan’s question about the romantic future of Lizzie and its initial series' best friend character, Gordo, played by Adam Lamberg. Jonathan said that the second episode of the reboot would have answered this question, where Gordo reveals his engagement and the pregnancy of his significant other. This led Jonathan to conclude that the series wouldn't have seen Lizzie and Gordo together in the end.

The fact that the show’s third episode was never recorded was a disappointment for Jonathan, who had already written a script for it. He illustrated the outline for this episode where “Lizzie finds herself in Ethan's bed, wearing his water polo T-shirt, and her animated alter ego is around, suggesting that Ethan was part of animated Lizzie's 'to-do' list."

The development of such an adult narrative for Lizzie is what Jonathan assumes might have potentially been uncomfortable for Disney, despite not involving any explicit scenes.

Hilary Duff, the actress behind Lizzie McGuire, openly expressed her disappointment over the show's cancellation during a 2021 appearance on Good Morning America. She was particularly saddened by the cancellation knowing the series could have shown a more mature side of Lizzie. As of May 2022, Hilary voiced her opinion on Disney potentially being uncomfortable with Lizzie’s grown-up script, adding, "She didn't need to be doing bong rips and having one-night stands all the time, but it had to be authentic."