The cast of Malcolm In The Middle don't look like this anymore!

Malcolm In The Middle's stars have reunited as they film its long-awaited reboot - and they are almost completely unrecognisable a quarter of a century on from the show's 2000 premiere. 

The hugely popular American sitcom ran for six years until 2006 and centred around child prodigy Malcolm as he tries to navigate life within his dysfunctional family. 

Ahead of the show's return on Hulu and Disney+, its star, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm), now 40, couldn't help but share a picture of himself and his on-screen brothers - Justin Berfield (Reese), 39, and Christopher Masterson (Francis), 45. 

Frankie wrote: 'I was told not to post this yet, but then I listened to this song. I'm just too excited for y'all to see the new episodes and I miss my brothers.' 

Reacting to the image, one fan couldn't help but joke: 'Why isn't Malcom in the middle?' 

While the actor didn't specify what song he was listening to, we can only speculate that it was the show's original theme tune, 'Boss Of Me' by They Might Be Giants.  

 A fan proceeded to compare the actors' appearances now to how they looked in the show's heyday in 2003 - and it's safe to say that they are completely unrecognisable, with perhaps the exception of Malcolm. 

In response, others were quick to point out how different, Francis, in particular, looked compared to his teenage self. Another brutally quipped: 'They now look good!'

The reboot's synopsis reads: 'After shielding himself and his daughter from his family for over a decade, Malcolm is dragged back into their orbit when Hal and Lois demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party.' 

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair was announced in December 2024. At the same time, it was confirmed that both Bryan Cranston (Hal), 69, and Jane Kaczmarek (Lois), 70, would reprise their roles.

Berfield and Masterson later signed on for the four-episode revival, which also stars Kiana Madeira as Malcolm's girlfriend.

Newcomers Vaughan Murrae, Keeley Karsten and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, who will step into Dewey's shoes, round out the cast.

Reflecting on the experience, Muniz admitted the project exceeded his expectations.

'I'm not exaggerating when I say filming this reboot, like I loved it so much, way more than I ever thought I could have,' he said on a recent podcast.

The characters' dramatic change in appearance comes after fans have been left devastated after noticing one beloved original character was not featured in the trailer for the new series - or in their reunion picture.

Hulu and Disney Plus unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming sequel on Monday, giving viewers a glimpse at Frankie Muniz returning to his lead role as the title character.

The 40-second clip also saw Berfield and Masterson back on screen as brothers Reese and Francis, and Cranston and Kaczmarek as parents Hal and Lois. 

Notably absent from the trailer, however, was Erik Per Sullivan, who played the beloved character Dewey.

Earlier this year, Cranston revealed during an appearance on the Fly on the Wall podcast that Sullivan did not want to be involved with the project.

It was later confirmed that Caleb Ellsworth-Clark would be taking on the role of Dewey instead.

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Malcolm in the Middle star sparks widespread fan concern as he poses for first reunion snap

Fans were gutted by Sullivan's absence and took their heartache to social media, where one seemingly referred to the original star and asked: 'Where's Dewey?'

Others took issue with the first glimpse of Ellsworth-Clark in the role, with some even stating it shouldn't have been recast. 

Another wrote: 'Sad Dewey got recast but I can't wait to see this family back together again! Gimme a nice Hal freakout moment and I'll be happy boy.'

'Should've just written Dewey out of it rather than recasting him, throws the whole show off,' a third observed.

In June, Cranston shared that he had a conversation with Sullivan about the reboot.

He said: 'I talked to Erik and I said, "Hey, we got the show! It's gonna come back." He goes, "Oh, that's fantastic!"

'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 that you are."

'He's actually going to Harvard,' the actor added. 'He's really, really smart, and I think he's getting his master's at Harvard right now.

Malcolm In The Middle: Life's Still Unfair will be available to stream on Disney+ from April 10 in the UK.