With the new year comes a new band of superheroes. And this time, the day-savers are a little bit
more petite than what you might be used to seeing on-screen. Robert Rodriguez's new
film We Can Be Heroes will introduce us all to a group of talented kids who have to step
up after Earth is invaded by a bunch of robotic squid-like aliens that abduct their parents - who
all just happen to be part of the world's premier superhero squad called the Heroics.
Here's everything you need to know about We Can Be Heroes.
While many of the characters in We Can Be Heroes are brand new,
the movie also takes place in the same universe as one of writer-director Robert Rodriguez's other
family-friendly action-adventure films: 2005's The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D.
That movie follows a 10-year-old named Max who has a big imagination and writes about an all-new
world called Planet Drool, where his new friends Sharkboy and Lavagirl have gone to stand guard.
Max's family and classmates don't believe in his tall tales about encountering the two superheroes
and learning about their planet. As such, they're all pretty surprised when Sharkboy and Lavagirl
actually show up to his school to recruit Max to join them in saving their world. Max may not have
grown gills from being raised by sharks or have the power of fire at his fingertips, but the film
shows that even the smallest among us can become mighty in the face of a challenge. That's also
the prevailing message of We Can Be Heroes, as the fate of the world rests in the tiny hands of
this new group of tots, which includes Sharkboy and Lavagirl's own wave-riding daughter Guppy.
"She's got shark strength."
Alongside the return of Taylor Dooley as the original Lavagirl,
you'll likely recognize the faces of some of the other Heroics who've been nabbed, as well
as those grownups who are put in charge of keeping their children safe from the unearthly intruders.
First, there's Pedro Pascal , who plays Marcus Moreno. Fans probably know him for any number
of his hit roles - like his starring role as The Mandalorian on the hit show of the same name. Some
of his most memorable small screen parts include his turn as Agent Marcus Pike in The Mentalist,
along with his eye-popping performance as Javier Peña in Narcos. He is also known for his film
roles as Whiskey in Kingsman: The Golden Circle and as Francisco Morales in Triple Frontier.
Christian Slater also stars as the kidnapped superhero Tech-No. He's another star with
a sprawling filmography. Slater won a Golden Globe for his work in Mr. Robot,
and fans may also recognize him for some of his standout film roles, including as J.D. in the
1989 dark comedy Heathers, as Clarence Worley in 1993's True Romance, and as
reporter Daniel Molloy in the 1994 adaptation Interview with the Vampire, to name a few.
Meanwhile, fans may recognize actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who plays Ms. Granada in We Can
Be Heroes. She previously starred as Alex Parrish in the TV action series Quantico,
and she can also be seen as Pinky Madam in The White Tiger.
Then there's Boyd Holbrook, who stars in the film as Miracle Guy. He's another notable alumni of
Narcos, having starred in the series as DEA agent Steve Murphy. Boyd is also known for
his role as William "Cap" Hatfield in the TV miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, as Kyle in the
silver screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's The Host, and as Quinn McKenna in The Predator.
The grownups of We Can Be Heroes aren't the only ones coming into the film with
some impressive credentials. The young stars of the movie are also already quite accomplished.
Vivien Lyra Blair, who plays little Guppy, is perhaps best known for her riveting role
as Girl in the apocalyptic drama Bird Box. She also starred as Serenity Jones
in the TV miniseries Waco and appeared as Penny in an episode of Station 19.
YaYa Gosselin, meanwhile, stars as the take-charge tyke Missy Moreno.
TV fans may recognize her from her role as Tali LaCroix in FBI and its spin-off FBI:
Most Wanted. She also appeared as the younger version of Penelope in The Purge TV show
and as Graciella Padilla in the last two seasons of 13 Reasons Why.
Akira Akbar also stars in We Can Be Heroes and has already made a name for herself with
some memorable screen appearances, including as little Monica Rambeau in Captain Marvel.
Robert Rodriguez is one of Hollywood's most versatile filmmakers, and he's made
a name for himself across multiple genres. But family-friendly action movies are particularly
close to Rodriguez's heart, because he grew up making movies with his nine siblings just for fun.
"I was always just making movies in my backyard with my brothers and sisters."
To honor his heritage, Rodriguez worked hard
to create the Spy Kids series in the image of his own upbringing.
His work on The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D is similarly inspired by those
nearest and dearest to him. He revealed to Today that the idea for the film was
initially inspired by his then-seven-year-old son Racer Max Rodriguez. In fact, Racer helped him
conceptualize the story's characters and appears in the film as the young version of Sharkboy.
Though his own children have since grown up, Rodriguez explained that he was eager to return to
this story for We Can Be Heroes because his "most rabid fanbase" has been for his children's movies,
and his own kids helped him come up with the idea for the new take.
It just shows that working together is the greatest strength of all.
"We have a secret weapon: Teamwork!"
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