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Why fans are divided over the 'Hannah Montana' reunion
The long-awaited special brings back the blonde wig and the memories but perhaps misses to bring back the magic of 'The Best of Both Worlds’
- PUBLISHED: Wed 25 Mar 2026, 4:55 PM UPDATED: Thu 26 Mar 2026, 5:12 PM
There was a time when the biggest problem in our lives was whether Miley would get caught switching between her two worlds. Schoolgirl by day, popstar by night, the kind of switch we all easily fell for as kids and even secretly wished we had in our lives.
So, when Hannah Montana: 20 Years of Magic dropped on Disney+ on March 24, it felt like an invitation back into a version of ourselves we don’t quite have access to anymore. The wig, the music, the familiar opening chords of The Best of Both Worlds. And for a moment, it all works beautifully. It lands exactly where it’s supposed to, tapping into a memory that feels both distant and strangely intact.
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Miley Cyrus took centre stage, donning the iconic blonde wig and performing The Best of Both Worlds for the first time in nearly two decades, while her father Billy Ray Cyrus joined her for an emotional onstage union. Selena Gomez also made a surprise cameo as her former rival Mikayla, and original cast members Jason Earles (Jackson) and Cody Linley (Jake Ryan) also made brief appearances.
Yet, as the special unfolded, what caught many fans off guard was the absence of key figures, such as Emily Osment, who played Miley’s best friend Lilly Truscott, and Mitchel Musso (Oliver Oken).
For years, Miley has tried to distance herself from Hannah Montana, from the expectations and identity that came with it, from a character that the world refused to separate from her real self. So, when she stepped back into the arena, it almost felt like she wanted to reclaim that identity and redefine what the character meant for her.
But if you grew up with the show, you’d definitely be able to acknowledge the fact that Hannah Montana was never just about Miley. It was Lilly, it was Oliver, it was the chaos of friendships and family, of teenage romance and the drama that follows, which gave it a sense of completeness.
It was an ensemble in the truest sense, a world that felt whole because of the people in it. So when that world comes back, but not quite as you remember it, as a fan you can’t help but feel just a little unsettled.
That’s where the divide seems to come from. For some fans, this is exactly what they needed. A chance to bask in a version of Hannah Montana that has grown up, that reflects where Miley is today, that finally allows her to embrace a part of her past without being defined by it. After all, she worked tirelessly to rebuild an image that feels entirely her own, delivering hit singles that don’t, even for a moment, take us back to her Disney days.
But for others, it’s harder to separate the show from what it once represented. The absence of key cast members, the shift in focus, the way the narrative centres around Cyrus' journey has left fans across the globe wondering. When a show gives you so much, isn’t it easier to hold on to what it gave you rather than focus on what it may have taken away? Perhaps that’s the question many are left with.
So finally... is it still "the best of both worlds", or just the best of Miley? Maybe, it’s both. The best of both these worlds. The world of Hannah Montana then and the world of Miley Cyrus now.
