One of Hannah Montana's biggest stars, Mitchel Musso, is finally explaining why he stayed away from the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. The reunion, which aired in March, gave fans a nostalgic trip back to the beloved Disney Channel teen sitcom. From Miley Cyrus to Selena Gomez, many were in attendance. 

However, several familiar faces, such as Musso, were not present for the reunion. While some of the missing cast members revealed scheduling conflicts as the reason, Musso has now shared that he skipped the reunion due to creative differences.

Mitchel Musso clarified that he was excited about the opportunity to return as Oliver Oken. However, he was not convinced by the creative vision for Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. The actor explained that if the team had chosen to make a new episode or even a movie instead, he would have dropped everything to reprise his role and reunite with the cast.

“They just did it differently, and it is what it is,” he said on The Joe Vulpis Podcast.

“It wasn’t the right thing. And I was busy doing something that was more important. But it would have been way more important if it would have just been an episode, or a movie. Of course that would have been more important. That would have been everything.”

Speaking further on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, Musso explained that the original Hannah Montana set is still standing, making it possible to film a new episode or even a movie. However, he felt the reunion special's interview format was not the right way to revisit the series. Emily Osment, who played Lilly Truscott, was also absent from the special, citing scheduling conflicts. Fans, however, did not take the absence of missing cast members lightly, with many criticizing the reunion for excluding such iconic characters. 

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Days after the special aired and the backlash followed, the show's producers addressed the absence of several notable cast members and explained why they were not part of the reunion.

The absence of Mitchel Musso and Emily Osment did not go unnoticed, with many fans questioning why two of the show's most beloved stars were missing from the reunion. The backlash quickly grew into a major discussion online. Addressing the criticism, showrunner Ashley Edens later explained that the special's format and limited runtime saw them focus on Miley Cyrus' experience on the show.

“It wasn’t that she didn’t want anyone else there — I think her love for all those classmates comes through — but … in the hour special, we really just leaned into Miley and her experience and it being through her lens,” she told The Wrap.

While fans certainly missed some of the original characters and the actors who played them, the reunion was a heartfelt and nostalgic surprise. Billy Ray Cyrus, Moises Arias, and Cody Linley made appearances, delighting longtime viewers. The event also featured unexpected guests, including Chappell Roan. Although Hannah Montana's 20th anniversary special was well-received overall, there is seemingly a hope for a longer reunion episode or even a movie that brings the entire original cast back together 

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What do you think about Mitchel Musso's reason for missing Hannah Montana’s 20th Anniversary Special? Let us know in the comments.