In Hulu and Disney+’s continuation of Malcolm in the Middle, fans catch up with Malcolm’s longtime friend Stevie Kenarban, who is now revealed to be in a relationship with a man, with whom he has adopted a son.
Played by Craig Lamar Traylor, Stevie’s return has drawn praise from viewers embracing the show’s expanded LGBTQ+ and disability representation, though some longtime fans argue the revival strays too far from its original tone.
At the premiere, Traylor admitted he felt uncertain stepping back into the role after so many years, later expanding on that sentiment in a social media post.
He shared a message about authenticity and living openly:
“One thing I can say is, I’ve always been me before during after and now. That will never change, and I encourage those loving life and living their truth to have the courage to keep it up despite what anyone says or thinks. We are in this thing together.”
Traylor, who portrayed Stevie across all seven seasons of Malcolm in the Middle, first appeared on ER at age five before starring in Matilda. He later reunited with Frankie Muniz in the 2025 film Renner.
He also pointed to the revival’s continuity with the original series’ themes of “otherness”:
“Malcolm In The Middle has always celebrated being other, and in that it’s so human, so real, so familiar, and I’m happy to say with conviction that is the truth of the new series, and I love @behindmalcolm the cast and crew for being the realest in the business.”
You can view his post below:
Online, some MAGA commentators quickly labeled Stevie’s storyline as too “woke,” arguing the revival was pushing a political agenda rather than staying true to the original series. The backlash spread across conservative corners of social media, with critics framing the update as unnecessary or forced.
You can view the overblown MAGA reactions here:
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That criticism isn’t new, echoing past conservative backlash to LGBTQ+ storylines in shows and movies like The Last of Us and Lightyear.
But the response certainly didn’t go unchallenged, as many fans and LGBTQ+ viewers pushed back, defending the show’s long-standing theme of embracing outsiders and celebrating the update as a natural evolution. The debate quickly spilled across platforms, setting the stage for a wave of social media reactions.
The real fans had this to say:
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The revival further expands the Wilkerson family with Malcolm’s non-binary sibling, Kelly, played by Vaughan Murrae. In Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, the character exists within the show’s chaotic world without being treated as a central issue.
Creator Linwood Boomer and executive producer Tracy Katsky said the decision was shaped by personal experience. In an April 9 interview with Deadline, they noted that three of their four children are queer.
Katsky on making queerness part of everyday life in the show:
“Three out of four of our kids are queer, and without making it a thing and without making an issue, I think it’s really nice to have a character that, that’s just a facet of their personality as opposed to the entire story.”
Murrae, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, has appeared in The Way Home, The Solutioneers, I Like Movies, and Before I Change My Mind.
More than 20 years after the original series ended, the revival reflects how both its characters and the culture around them have evolved, expanding the show’s offbeat storytelling to include a broader range of identities.
