David Henrie and Selena Gomez Didn't 'Miss a Beat' When They Had Their First Scene Together for the 'Wizards of Waverly Place' Sequel

Twelve years after Wizards of Waverly Place ended on Disney Channel, David Henrie, who played Justin Russo, and Selena Gomez, Alex Russo, are finally back in action, as they are both working on the sequel Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.

"The moment before Selena and I did our first scene together was a really special one. We were behind a door, and we had to come in. They yelled, 'Action,' we came in through the door, and I remember looking at her and there were no words spoken, but I just thought, 'It's been 15 years and it doesn't feel like we've missed a beat.' The second the door opened, Alex and Justin were alive. It was a really special thing for both of us," the 35-year-old, who teamed up with Learning Resources, the award-winning toy company and original influencer of learning through play, and has joined the Playfluencer Movement, exclusively tells OK!.

Appearing on the show again seemed like such a dream when Henrie and Gomez, 32, were hanging out and joking about where the characters are now and what they're doing. "We talked about what we loved about the original show, why it was special, why it made such a difference in people's lives, and we kept having these conversations to the point where I turned to Selena, and I was like, 'I think we have a show. Let's go pitch Disney!' And we did!" Henrie, who is married to Maria Cahill, recalls. "We led with the themes and the values of the original show and the spirit of the original show. We said, 'We've had millions of people approach us from all over the world with touching stories and stories that made us want to do this again.'"

"One of the most common stories we had heard that really touched Selena and I was a fan saying, 'Hey, I come from a bad situation. I come from a broken home. I come from a place where it made me not want to have a family, but I had your show, and it showed me that it's possible to have family as a foundation. That family can have your back, that family can be loving, and it made me want to have a family one day.' It's stories like that that made us go, 'Let's bring this back because there's a whole new generation of kids that don't have that right now and can use that,'" he continues. "We've gone through some crazy times, so let's make people feel good. Let's do it for the next generation of fans — and do it for the old as well. We packed in a ton of mystery, a ton of backstory, a ton of Easter eggs that old fans will be satisfied with."

"A lot of time has passed since you saw Justin as the newest headmaster of WizTech, so there's a lot to catch up on that will progress throughout the entirety of the first season," Henrie shares. "You're going to constantly hear a little more about what happened and what's going on. There's a big mystery in the center of it, and you're going to want to know more every step of the way. We really pay close attention both to the original fan and the new one to give them both satisfying experiences."

The dad-of-three, who shares Pia, 5, James, 3, and Gemma, 2, with his wife, is "excited" for everyone to watch it — no matter what age they are. "It's all about the fun of trying to keep your power a secret with wonderful familial values that come with the original show," he says. "When Billie gets dropped off, this kid is kind of a mini Alex, and she's never found stability until she's dropped off into Justin's life like a wrecking ball. That's a great vehicle to restart a show about family values because we're going to teach this girl that family can be there and be trusted."

As the "Single Soon" songstress and the director have teased more and more clips about the sequel, familiar faces have been spotted from the original series, including David DeLuise and Maria Canals-Barrera, who played Jerry and Theresa Russo, respectively. Additionally, Jake T. Austin, who played Gomez and Henrie's on-screen younger brother Max Russo, will also be featured.

"It's our goal to get everyone back," Henrie says. "You can absolutely expect cameos, and if people are willing to come on, we will have them! We need to get everyone on the show."

Henrie's own children are also fans of the series, as his eldest daughter, Pia, "loves" it. "It's her favorite thing in the world now! She comes to every taping, and she's catching up on the original show," he dishes.

Since Henrie is so dedicated to his brood, it was a no-brainer for him to partner with Learning Resources, as they're on a mission to educate parents about the powerful impact play can have on a child's development.

The actor has joined the Playfluencer Movement, celebrating how he and his wife have "playfluenced" their three young children.

"I have loved becoming a Playfluencer. I also love this term because it really is in line with our teaching ethos in my household. Before even meeting Learning Resources, my wife and I were very aware of experiential learning and trying to incorporate fun into learning because at these young ages, their brains are developing at such a rapid pace that whatever you kind of influence in their life is going to have a massive impact on them as an adult," he explains. "We understood the importance of it and we understood using the term 'influence' in a positive way. For us, we really wanted to give our kids formational experiences without them even really knowing it. Teaching through great experiences was a really important thing for us and Learning Resources was in our household, even from the time I was a kid. I had one of the cash register toys, so becoming a part of the Learning Resources Family and becoming a 'Playfluencer' was such a natural relationship for both of us because our outlooks on education were so similar."

"It really has been such a wonderful partnership, and I love the term 'Playfluencer' because it really is taking the term 'influencer' and giving it a purpose," he gushes. "That's so important in the lives of my children, and I just love how they're a family business. I love how strategic they are in the design of their toys for tactile learning and social and emotional learning. It's been so wonderful."

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Over the years, Henrie has gotten to witness his kids grow up through exploring and playing. "The Learning Resources Big Feelings Pineapple is my son's favorite toy, and he makes all these difference faces with it that are hilarious, and he tries to describe the feelings of the pineapple. He will make a silly face and talk about how silly it is and give it a backstory, and then I can talk to him about if he made a sad or happy face. It's such a springboard into fun conversations with your kid — and you're constantly laughing. There's this other one called Learning Resources Pia the Fill & Spill Pinata, where you can stick things into it and shake it and they all fall out. It's a great way to practice counting. It's a great way to teach and have fun at the same time!"