At long last, we’re getting a fifth installment in the Spy Kids franchise, so it’s time to show Marvel how it’s really done. The trailer for Spy Kids: Armageddon shows us an entirely new cast with new kids and new parents, although the dynamic is pretty much the same: brother and sister find out their parents used to be spies, also the world is in danger. Pretty standard stuff.
Zachary Levi and Gina Rodriguez play the mother and father to our protagonists played by Connor Esterson and Every Carganilla, but I’m not going to lie, it hurts to not see Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino as the parents. Of course, despite looking pretty much identical to the leads of Spy Kids 1, 2 and 3D, Connor and Every are not playing the same characters, this is a sequel after all, not a remake. So does that mean that the original spy kids could return as spy adults?
Let’s not forget, they’ve already returned to the franchise as adults before. The fourth movie titled, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World saw Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) in supporting roles, could the same thing happen with the fifth installment? It would certainly be nice to see the legacy continue.
While we can only know for sure upon the film’s release on Netflix this Friday, it’s not looking hopeful. Obviously the trailer gives away very little but a quick check of the film’s cast shows that PenaVega and Sabara are nowhere to be seen. What’s worse is that none of the OG cast seem to be returning for this one, not even Danny Trejo – and he always appears in Robert Rodriguez films. In fact, the only thing that confirms this is definitely Spy Kids is the fact that Robert is still directing.
Of course, there’s the off chance that perhaps those behind the film are trying to keep everything hush-hush in order for it to be a surprise for long time fans, but come on, this is Spy Kids 5 not Spider-man: No Way Home. I’m pretty sure no one is going that far to prevent leaks about this movie, and as excited as I am personally, I don’t think it quite has the same buzz as your typical Marvel affair.
The final nail in the coffin is the fact that both stars seem to have drifted away from acting. Daryl Sabara really hasn’t been on camera much, with his only film credit in the last decade being the voice of Heatblast in the animated film: Ben 10 Vs the Universe. PenaVega’s been a bit more active, mostly in television with roles as recent as this year. All I’m going to say is don’t get your hopes up for Carmen and Juni to appear in the fifth movie.
Spy Kids: Armageddon drops on Netflix Friday September 22.
