Robert Rodriguez’s We Can Be Heroes is coming right on time for Christmas, and here’s who plays who and where you’ve seen them before. Back in 2005, and following the success of his family film Spy Kids, Robert Rodriguez brought a new fantasy adventure titled The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D. Sadly, the movie didn't have the desired impact and got negative reviews due to its story and visuals, and it was also a commercial failure.
Now, fifteen years after the debut of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, comes a stand-alone sequel titled We Can Be Heroes, which will see the return of these peculiar superheroes but without them being at the front and center. Instead, We Can Be Heroes will follow the children of Earth’s superheroes teaming up after their parents are kidnapped by alien invaders, which will push them to learn to work together so they can save their parents and the world too. Among those kids is Guppy, the daughter of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, who has both shark and lava powers. We Can Be Heroes was originally scheduled for a January 2021 release but it was pushed forward to December 25, 2020.
As mentioned above, We Can Be Heroes will see the return of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, now all grown-up and parents to a superpowered child, and it will also introduce new characters that will create a lot of chaos in this new adventure while others will do their best to save the world. Here’s a guide to the cast members of We Can Be Heroes and where you’ve seen them before.
YaYa Gosselin plays Missy Moreno, the daughter of superhero Marcus Moreno and the one who motivates the other kids to team-up to rescue their parents. Gosselin played Tali LaCroix in the TV series FBI and FBI: Most Wanted, and Graciella Padilla in 13 Reasons Why. Missy Moreno is her first major role in a movie.
Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Moreno, a superhero who is a master swordsman and one of the superheroes kidnapped by the aliens. Pascal is best-known for playing Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984, Javier Peña in the TV series Narcos, and Din Djarin/The Mandalorian in Disney+’s Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian.
Adriana Barraza plays Marie Moreno, Marcus’ mother and Missy’s grandmother. Barraza appeared in a number of telenovelas in her home country of México and among her many acting credits are Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros and Babel, Drag Me To Hell, Cake, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Rambo: Last Blood, and the TV series The Strain and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
Priyanka Chopra plays Ms. Granada, the leader of an organization filled with superpowered kids, but she isn’t exactly what she seems and has other plans in mind. Chopra became widely-known after playing the lead role in the TV show Quantico, after which she appeared in the movies Baywatch and Isn’t It Romantic?. Chopra will appear in The Matrix 4 in a still undisclosed role.
Taylor Dooley returns as Lavagirl, a superhero with lava based powers and who is Sharkboy’s wife and Guppy’s mother. Following The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, Dooley appeared in projects like Whitepaddy and Hell Mountain, and played Rachelle in one episode of House.
Christian Slater plays Tech-No, a superhero with technology powers. Slater made his film debut in The Legend of Billie Jean in 1985 and became widely-known after playing J.D. in the 1989 black comedy Heathers. Among his most notable projects are True Romance, Interview with the Vampire, and the TV series Mr. Robot.
Boyd Holbrook as Miracle Guy, a superhero with superhuman strength – Holbrook played Billy in The Skeleton Twins, Jeff in Gone Girl, Donald Pierce in Logan, and Steven Murphy in the TV series Narcos.
Vivien Lyra Blair as Guppy, Sharkboy and Lavagirl’s daughter – Blair played Girl in Bird Box and Hazel in the TV series Indebted.
Nathan Blair as Kyle, Tech-No’s son – Blair has appeared in various short-films and minor roles in TV shows like Best. Worst. Weekend. Ever. and Raven’s Home.
Sung Kang as Kung-Fu Man – Kang has appeared in movies like Undoing, Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious 6, Code 8, and various TV series, most recently Magnum P.I. and Power.
Dylan Henry Lau as Jim, Kung-Fu Man’s son – Lau has appeared in minor roles in TV shows like Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories, Here and Now, and Oh Jerome, No.
Akira Akbar as Bally – Akbar has appeared in minor roles in Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, Family Reunion, This Is Us, and Captain Marvel, where she played 11-year-old Monica Rambeau.
Isaiah Russell-Bailey as Rewind, Bally’s brother – Bailey played Shaka McKellan in Family Reunion.
Haley Reinhart as Ms. Vox, a superhero with a sonar scream – Reinhart played Bill Murphy on the TV series F Is For Family.
Andy Walken as Stretch – Walken played William Cleary in the TV series The Kids Are Alright.
Andrew Diaz as Mist – This is Diaz’s first major role.
Brently Heilbron as Crushing Low – Heilbron has appeared in minor roles in series like Friday Night Lights and The Leftovers.
Hala Finley as Bubblegum, Ms. Granada’s stepdaughter – Finley played Emme Burns in the TV series Man with a Plan.
Lotus Blossom as Canary, Ms. Vox’s daughter – Lotus had minor roles in the TV series Hotel Du Loone and Undone.
Brittany Perry-Russell as Red Lightning Fury – Perry-Russell played Cheerio in Glee and Tracy Porter in 13 Reasons Why.
J. Quinton Johnson as Crimson Legend
Lyon Daniels as Solar, Crimson Legend and Red Lightning Fury’s son – Daniels played Efram in the TV series Patriot and Stumblebum in Fundamentally Cynical.
Jamie Perez as Invisi-Girl
Christopher McDonald as Vorgo – McDonald played Darryl Dickinson in Thelma & Louise, Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, Wilson Croft in Flubber, and the President of the United States in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams.
