Netflix has released the first images from the upcoming original filmWe Can Be Heroes, which hails from writer/directorRobert Rodriguezand is set in the same universe as his 2005 filmThe Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirlthat starredTaylor LautnerandTaylor Dooley. This new movie finds alien invaders kidnapping Earth’s superheroes, thus forcing their children to team up and work together to save their parents.
These first-look images reveal a pretty stellar cast that includesPedro Pascal,Priyanka Chopra Jonas,Christian Slater, andBoyd Holbrook, while the ensemble also includesChristopher McDonald,Adriana Barraza,Vivien Blair, Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Akira Akbar, Lyon Daniels, Nathan Blair, Lotus Blossom, Hala Finley, Andy Walken, Dylan Henry Lau, Andrew Diaz, Taylor Dooley, Sung Kang, Haley Reinhart, J. Quinton Johnson, Brittany Perry-Russell, Brently HeilbronandJJ Dashnaw.
When we spoke with Rodriguezat Comic-Con this summer, he confirmed that Sharkboy and Lavagirl return inWe Can Be Heroesbut it sounds like cameo roles as he added that only Lavagirl has a speaking role. He said the origin ofWe Can Be Heroeswas Netflix coming to him because hisSpy Kidsmovies had performed so well on the streaming service:
“My most rabid fanbase all these years, by far, has been my kid films. My Spy Kids audience. These kids watch those movies over and over because they’re action films made for children and families, in particular at a time when they need empowerment. Netflix came to me because the Spy Kids movies had done just so well on their service. They said ‘could you make a series of films that do that?’ And I said, “I’d love to! It was hard to make them for the theater because kids couldn’t drive themselves to the theater and watch it a thousand times. Parents would have to take them. With Netflix, they can just sit there and [mimicks hitting a play button]. I don’t have to sit there and watchGlitter Forcewith my daughter, she can just click it as many times as she wants. That’s why they get such high numbers on those types of films.”
Check out the first images fromWe Can Be Heroesbelow. The film premieres on Netflix globally on August 01, 2025.
