Creator Explains Why the Spy Kids Reboot Has No Cameos from OG Stars

The creator of Spy Kids: Armageddon had a valid justification for excluding the original Spy Kids actors from the reboot.

The latest film, which debuted on Netflix on Friday, is a direct reboot of the 2001 family adventure that introduced two children of secret agents. The original film was a huge hit, grossing $150 million on a $35 million budget.

The reboot, however, features two new child spies and has received mixed reviews. A common criticism is the absence of Alexa PenaVega and Daryl Sabara, who played the first child spies, Carmen and Juni Cortez, in the original film.

Robert Rodriguez, the creator of Spy Kids, explained to Yahoo his rationale for removing the siblings from the reboot.

He wanted to make his reboot feel fresh from start to finish, so he decided not to bring back any characters from the original films in Armageddon. However, he said he would love to see Carmen and Juni return in the future. Here’s what he said:

I wanted to re-establish a new family. Because it’d been so long [since 2011’s All the Time in the World], it was important to just start the franchise fresh and then go from there. I would love to bring back [characters], I would love to connect the worlds. That would be so fun. It could still be in the same world, so if we get to make more films, there easily could be legacy characters that come back.

Spy Kids seemed to have reached its end with Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, which was released in 2011 and was a huge flop. It made $85 million on a $27 million budget, which was the lowest grossing of the franchise, and received the worst reviews with a 23% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the reboot could revive the franchise.

Despite the mixed reviews that gave the reboot a 57% Tomatometer score, audiences are enjoying Armageddon. The film has a 74% audience score at the time of writing, which is the highest for any film in the franchise. This could pave the way for Rodriguez’s vision of bringing back the original Spy Kids. However, it will take some time before Carmen and Juni are seen in action again.

A sequel to Spy Kids: Armageddon will have to be delayed, as the main actors, Connor Esterson and Everly Carganilla, are in school and cannot film any feature films. The original child spies, Daryl Sabara and Alexa PenaVega do not have the same limitations and can negotiate and film with more flexibility.

They can contact Rodriguez about reprising their roles once the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved. Carmen and Juni may join Spy Kids: Armageddon if Netflix gives them the green light.

About Spy Kids: Armageddon

Spy Kids: Armageddon is a 2023 American spy action comedy film co-produced and directed by Robert Rodriguez, who co-wrote it with Racer Max. It is the fifth installment in the Spy Kids film series. The film stars Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Connor Esterson, and Everly Carganilla.

When the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful Game Developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all technology, they must become spies themselves to save their parents and the world.

Spy Kids: Armageddon was released on September 22, 2023, by Netflix.