Taylor Lautner didn't return as Sharkboy in We Can Be Heroes, but here's how he can play the superhero again in the future. While many people know Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black from the Twilight franchise, there is an entire generation who will always see him as Sharkboy. The leading role in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D was a huge step in Lautner's career. Once the movie was not well-received critically and bombed at the box office, it seemed any chance to see Sharkboy and Lavagirl again was gone.
However, director Robert Rodriguez surprised many when it was revealed that his film We Can Be Heroes includes Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Their returns were revealed during the marketing, but fans quickly noticed that Lautner wasn't the one playing Sharkboy. While Taylor Dooley returned to play Lavagirl, stuntman J.J. Dashnaw suited up as Sharkboy instead of Lautner. The Sharkboy recasting led to some confusion initially, with Rodriguez later confirming he talked to Lautner about returning. While We Can Be Heroes missed out on having a proper Sharkboy and Lavagirl reunion, that could change in the future.
Sharkboy and Lavagirl's roles in We Can Be Heroes is limited based on the film's plot, where they and the rest of the Heroics are kidnapped, leaving superhero children to save the day. But, Sharkboy's role is noticeably smaller than Lavagirl's. Dooley is clearly featured to highlight her return and has multiple speaking lines. Sharkboy, on the other hand, didn't say a word (and only snarls/chomps a few times) and gave the character a helmet that concealed his face. Both of these reasons contributed to Lautner not coming back, as the role was not substantial enough. This could be a blessing in disguise, though, as the costume and lack of dialogue largely hides the actor, making it easy for Lautner to return as Sharkboy in the future.
Now that We Can Be Heroes 2 is officially in the works, there is a realistic chance that Lautner could return as Sharkboy in the sequel. The plot of the first movie meant there was no real room for Sharkboy to have a role, but Rodriguez can change that moving forward. Even though We Can Be Heroes' ultimate message is about passing the torch to a younger generation that can do better, it would be shocking if the parents weren't involved in the story some way. After all, these are still kids that now have to try and protect the world, so team-ups with their parents or simply learning from them can be story points in We Can Be Heroes 2.
If we look much further into the possible future, Lautner returning as Sharkboy could potentially set up a true sequel to Sharkboy and Lavagirl. We Can Be Heroes is proving to be a popular film for Netflix, so they might want to make the franchise as big as possible. Sharkboy and Lavagirl's daughter Guppy (Vivien Blair) is a standout among We Can Be Heroes' new characters, so this family could be chosen for a spinoff movie. The chances of that happening would likely increase greatly if Lautner was back as Sharkboy. Whether or not it happens remains to be seen, but We Can Be Heroes' use of the character certainly shouldn't keep Lautner's return from happening.