"Everything is not what it seems."
The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex - Ending Explained
⚠️ Spoiler Analysis
In the final act, Dominic captures the Russo family and plans to turn every mortal into a magical bead. He frames Alex for the crime, leading to her being arrested by the Wizard Council. After escaping with the help of Mason, Alex confronts her evil self on the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The twist occurs when Alex realizes she cannot defeat Evil Alex with brute force because Evil Alex is her. To win, Alex must renounce her magic, effectively 'killing' the magical bond that sustains the evil doppelgänger. By giving up her powers, she destroys the machine and the twin. However, the Wizard Council restores her powers at the end, recognizing that her willingness to sacrifice her most prized possession (her magic) to save humanity was the ultimate proof of the maturity she had been seeking all along.
Alternative Interpretations
The Celebrity Metaphor: Critics have suggested that the split between 'Good Alex' and 'Evil Alex' represents Selena Gomez’s own public persona struggle. Evil Alex, with her darker clothes and rebellious nature, mirrors the 'Spring Breakers' era of Gomez’s career, while Good Alex represents the sanitized Disney image her fans expected.
The Failure of Perfectionism: Another interpretation is that the film is a critique of helicopter parenting. Jerry’s constant scolding is what drives Alex to 'cast out' her bad parts, suggesting that the pressure to be perfect actually creates the monsters parents fear the most.