Life’s still not fair for not-so-young Malcolm. Or for many fans of the original series.
Frankie Muniz’s beloved character from Fox’s “Malcolm in the Middle” is back. The four-part Hulu revival, subtitled “Life’s Still Unfair,” reunites most of the show’s original cast, including Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek.
The new story features elements you’d likely not expect during the show’s early-2000s heyday.
In a word … woke.
That includes the core family’s youngest child, Kelly. The character is played by non-binary actor Vaughan Murrae and Kelly uses they/them pronouns. Malcolm’s old chum Stevie (Craig Lamar Traylor) is back, but now he’s gay and in a committed interracial relationship with another man.
The show originally portrayed Stevie as being straight.
Ignoring repeated storylines from the original that revolved around Stevie’s heterosexuality, MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE: LIFE’S STILL UNFAIR has made Stevie gay. pic.twitter.com/gz2KoHQWsW
— Worth it or Woke? (reviews) (@worthitorwoke) April 11, 2026
Malcolm’s new girlfriend is played by a mixed-race actress (Kiana Madeira).
That’s Hollywood. Everything old is new again, and the woke flourishes are part of that process.
Which brings us to “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” The May 1 release reunites the original cast for more high fashion high jinks. We don’t know much about the sequel, beyond the fact that Andy’s original beau, played by Adrien Grenier, didn’t make the cut.
New cast members include Kenneth Branagh, B.J. Novak, Lucy Liu and Pauline Chalamet.
The story revolves around the ice queen Miranda (Meryl Streep) navigating the transition from print to digital publishing, among other topics.
The sequel is a guaranteed hit, with early box office predictions suggesting it’ll earn $66 million in its opening weekend. That’s a massive number for a big-screen comedy and suggests the built-up anticipation for part 2 is real.
Little can damage that opening.
What if “Prada 2” goes the “Malcolm” route, inserting progressive tropes into the otherwise apolitical saga? The original “Prada” steered clear of any culture war issues. Heck, that phrase wasn’t part of the vernacular at the time.
The film didn’t wag its finger about The Patriarchy™ or the difficulties women have the workplace. It let those themes play out gently within the context of the story.
Show, don’t tell. Always.
Now, compare the “Malcolm in the Middle” revival to “Top Gun: Maverick.” That 2022 sequel leaned into the original film’s mission – pro-America themes focusing on entertainment first and foremost. Yes, the Top Gun students had women and minorities in the mix, but the story didn’t focus on that.
It was all about merit, excellence and character. And “Top Gun: Maverick” made $718 million stateside.
Hollywood knows that woke is hurting the industry, and studios have taken real steps to avoid stepping on future progressive rakes.
It still can’t give up the progressive ghost – even when millions are at stake.
