After a 12-year absence, the Spy Kids franchise is back with Spy Kids: Armageddon, a cinematic offering exclusive to Netflix subscribers. However, unlike the previous installment, All the Time in the World, none of the original Spy Kids trilogy’s cast members appeared in this 2023 new movie release. Robert Rodriguez, the director of all the Spy Kids movies, has now shared why the lack of familiar faces was necessary for Armageddon.
Spy Kids is Rodriguez’s baby, because along with his directorial duties, he wrote the first four movies on his own, and co-wrote this latest entry with Racer Max. So obviously there’s no one better qualified to explain why no one from the old Spy Kids crew showed up in Armageddon, although that’s not to say this couldn’t change if another sequel moves forward. As he told Yahoo:
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: All the Time in the World came out in 2011, eight years after Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, which wrapped up the original trilogy. Like Armageddon, All the Time in the World spotlighted a new duo of title protagonists and their espionage-gifted parents, but Alex Vega and Daryl Sabara did reprise Carmen and Juni Cortez in supporting roles, and Danny Trejo cameoed as their uncle Isador “Machete” Cortez. So while the goal with the previous Spy Kids movie was to usher in a new era, the previous generation of gadget-toting youths was also included.
In sharp contrast, Spy Kids: Armageddon truly stands on its own. Yes, the same spy agency, the Organization of Super Spies (OSS) is used, but none of the old guard appear or are even mentioned during these action-packed events. So while Armageddon is not technically a reboot since, per Robert Rodriguez’s comments, can easily take place in the same continuity as the other four movies, the filmmaker certainly accomplished his goal of starting fresh.
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If Armageddon scores a sequel it will undoubtedly continue following along with the Torrez-Tango family, which is comprised of Connor Esterson’s Tony, Everly Carganilla’s Patty, Zachary Levi’s Terrence and Gina Rodriguez’s Nora. But as Rodriguez stated, he’s still game to bring legacy characters now that this new stage has been set. It’s already easy enough to envision Carmen and Juni nicely filling out adult mentor roles, and who knows, maybe even their parents, Antonio Banderas’ Gregorio and Carla Gugino’s Ingrid, are still deeply engaged in spycraft.
Of course, whether or not Spy Kids 6 will even happen depends on how Spy Kids: Armageddon performs on Netflix, so keep your eyes peeled for any developments on that front. In the meantime, look through the Netflix movie schedule to learn when the streamer will deliver its remaining 2023 flicks, or browser through the best movies on Netflix available to watch now.