Exciting times are ahead for Frankie Muniz Jr. The actor-turned-racer is all set to compete in the Truck Series as a full-time driver in 2025 for Reaume Brothers Racing, marking the beginning of a new adventure in his career. However, that’s not all the 39-year-old will look forward to in the future. The New Jersey native will also be reprising his role in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’, 25 years after the hit sitcom first launched.

With the Wilkersons having a family reunion soon, Frankie Muniz Jr. has his hands full for the foreseeable future. Will he be able to balance on-screen commitments along with 25 Truck Series races next year? Time will tell.

Exciting times ahead for Malcolm in the Middle fans

Frankie Muniz Jr. seems to be returning to where it all began. He came into prominence in the world of show business because of the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which ran for seven seasons in the early 2000s. Featuring the life of an extraordinary young teen called ‘Malcolm’ who has a genius-level IQ, the sitcom is all about how he survives in his dimwitted and dysfunctional family, which comprises his parents Hal and Lois Wilkerson (played by Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek).

The trio confirmed that they will be reprising their role on social media with a short skit, where Cranston and Kaczmarek are heard yelling “Malcolm” to which Frankie Muniz Jr. responds by saying, “Yes, I hear you. I’m coming!” The video then goes on to reveal what’s in store for fans, with the caption, “They’re back! Malcolm in the Middle returns with 4 brand-new episodes on “DisneyPlus.” Sharing his thoughts about reprising his role, Muniz Jr. appears in front of the camera and says, “I have been waiting for this moment for 18 years. Let’s find out where Malcolm and his family are now.”

Unlike the original iteration, which went on from 2000 to 2006, the Wilkerson ‘reunion’ special will only take place across four episodes. According to the official logline of Disney+, the streaming service revealed an outline of the plot by writing, “In these brand-new episodes, Malcolm and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.” The Fox comedy show won plenty of accolades during its seven-season run, including seven Emmys as well as a Peabody Award. Will they be able to replicate the success this time around?

Frankie Muniz Jr. will also be reprising his role as a racing driver next year. The 39-year-old made four NASCAR Truck Series appearances in 2024 but failed to finish higher than 29th. However, he has been given a full-time seat at Reaume Brothers Racing’s No. 33 Ford, and it will be interesting to see how he fares with more responsibility. He finished fourth in the ARCA Menards Series during the 2023 campaign for Rette Jones Racing and will look to replicate that consistency in his next motorsports adventure.

Frankie Muniz Jr. has become a fan of the hit sitcom

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Frankie Muniz Jr. was only 15 years old when Malcolm in the Middle first aired on television. Even though the show went on for years, the New Jersey native has admitted that he has little to no recollection of his time as the lead actor in the sitcom. Widespread rumors about Muniz Jr. suffering from memory loss have been debunked by the man himself on “Wild Ride! with Steve-O.” in 2022. “This is the first time that I’ve actually ever gotten to clarify (the rumor),” Muniz told the comedian. “If you search my name, all it talks about is how like I have no memory or I’m dying of strokes and all this kind of stuff. … You search my name (and) it’s basically, ‘Frankie is dying’. 

The actor turned racer admitted to having a poor memory because of suffering multiple concussions but certainly did not attribute it to him not remembering his days on Malcolm in the Middle. “I don’t want to blame the concussions or blame anything else,” Muniz said of his memories. “I just think it’s the fact that I did so f—ing much in that time frame that of course I can’t remember all of it”

However, given that the show was single-handedly responsible for jumpstarting his acting career and helping him secure roles in Deuces Wild (2002) and Agent Cody Banks (2003), the actor felt it was only fair to watch the hit show once again, this time as a fan.

Reflecting on the experience, Frankie Muniz Jr. said, “When I was filming the show, I obviously was a kid. We did seven seasons, 151 episodes. I didn’t really watch the show when it was on, but I’ve now since watched the show with my wife. We [watched] all 151 episodes, and I realized, ‘Wow, that’s what we were making.’ I can separate myself from being on it and watching it as a fan. I would love to know what the family’s up to.”

He’s not the only one looking forward to a Wilkerson reunion, as Bryan Cranston had also said back in 2020 that he was hoping to reprise his role for “no other reason than I miss those people like crazy.” Cranston also added the possible storyline they could use, saying, “We want to start talking about the possibility of putting together a story that makes sense about that family, 10 years later, or whatever—12 years later. It’s not unheard of.” 

The cast can take solace in the fact that the show’s original series creator Linwood Boomer will be in charge of the four episodes and will hope that the magic can be recreated once again. The expectations are at an all-time high amongst fans, even though no dates have been announced yet.