While many were first introduced to Taylor Lautner as a hot wolf man in Twilight, some of us go wayyyy back with him.
Yes, I'm talkin' about back to the days when 3D movies still felt futuristic. In 2005, Lautner appeared alongside Taylor Dooley in Robert Rodriguez's The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, and the movie still holds up, tbh.
It held up so well, in fact, that Netflix recently announced that a standalone sequel to the film is coming out on New Year's Day. And on top of that annoucement, they just released photos of Taylor Dooley rocking her old Lavagirl look in the sequel, but if you look closely at Sharkboy, that isn't our boy Taylor Lautner.
Wanna feel old? Sharkboy and Lavagirl are parents now (and their daughter is played by Vivien Lyra Blair aka Girl from BIRD BOX) WE CAN BE HEROES releases globally on Netflix on New Year's Day
The man in question is J.J. Dashnaw, who has actually appeared as a stuntman in the Spy Kids films.
And while I'm sure J.J. isn't to blame for the swap, people had a lot of thoughts about it, so much so that they even got Lautner's name trending on Twitter:
That is NOT Taylor Lautner
Wait so Taylor Lautner is not back as Sharkboy? And that's why they gave a helmet to the new actor
Now what was taylor Lautner doing that was so important he couldn’t help us relive our childhoods for a second https://t.co/F9460lYswI
I’m sorry but Taylor Lautner will always be THE sharkboy and Netflix should’ve done everything possible to get him out of the cave where he’s hiding. I want my full 2005 nostalgia experience!
not them making a new sharkboy and lavagirl without mr. taylor lautner
@NetflixFilm nope ! where the OGs at 🤨 who dem people !
taylor lautner really collected his coin from twilight and dipped and i respect him for it https://t.co/i6YXPdt6Ni
Who is that shark boy because that is NOT TAYLOR LAUTNER!!!
So you’re telling me Taylor Lautner is not back as Sharkboy???
sharkboy and lava girl netflix sequel but taylor lautner is no longer sharkboy
@NetflixFilm Me looking for Taylor Lautner as Sharkboy:
On the bright side, at least we get Pedro Pascal serving us a smolder throughout the film. 😌
Robert Rodriguez's WE CAN BE HEROES, starring YaYa Gosselin, Pedro Pascal, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Christian Slater, comes to Netflix globally January 1, 2021.
Taylor Lautner hasn't said anything about the swap yet, but if he does, I'll be sure to let you know. Lautner or no Lautner, I'll still be watching because I've got nothing better to do on Jan. 1. Will you?
