Some movie lovers welcome a bit of nostalgia, but a few millennials were a bit miffed after noticing that one of their favorite films from the mid-2000s was missing its original star! Taylor Lautner‘s star-making role in the film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl was recast in newly revealed images from the 2005 film’s Netflix sequel, We Can Be Heroes. Instead, the actor, 28, has been replaced by JJ Dashnaw. While a number of fans were living for this exciting new chapter in the Sharkboy and Lavagirl saga, others were less pleased to see Taylor replaced.
Although Taylor’s legions of fans are definitely disappointed not to see him suited-up for this long-awaited sequel, audiences who were no more than kids when the 2005 film came out are no less excited, and for good reason! We Can Be Heroes follows Sharkboy and Lavagirl as adults, who now have a daughter — named Guppy — who is part shark! Taylor Dooley, 27, who originated the role of Lavagirl in 2005, reprises her role over 10 years later for the sequel, which also introduces a slew of new characters.
Director Robert Rodriguez, who helmed the Spy Kids movies, discussed the sequel during the Collider: Directors On Directing panel for Comic-Con@Home session. “Even Sharkboy and Lavagirl even show up as superhero parents who now have a daughter who’s got shark and lava powers. And she’s, like, six,” the filmmaker teased in late July.
We Can Be Heroes premieres on Netflix on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2021.