Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

We Can Be Heroes (2020) movie poster

Plot Summary

We Can Be Heroes (2020) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2020 · English
Echo score 63
JustWatch #21,882 6
Directed by
Robert Rodriguez
Starring
Sung Kang, Priyanka Chopra, Pedro Pascal, Boyd Holbrook, Adriana Barraza, Akira Akbar

When Earth's superheroes vanish, their children discover they're the only ones who can save them. A group of kids, each possessing unique and extraordinary abilities like elasticity, time control, and precognition, must work together to locate and rescue their captured parents. Led by the intelligent Missy Moreno, they face a formidable challenge in outmaneuvering their government handler, Ms. Granada.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like We Can Be Heroes
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch We Can Be Heroes (2020)

Where can you watch We Can Be Heroes? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Netflix and Netflix Standard: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in We Can Be Heroes: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of We Can Be Heroes (2020) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Heroics is a thrilling tale of Earth's super heroes. In this adventure, Missy Moreno (YaYa Gosselin) is at her home alongside her father, Marcus Moreno (Pedro Pascal), a full-fledged superhero and exceptional swordsman. Equipped with a unique power that emits a magnetic force from his hands, he effortlessly wields his blades. Their quiet day is interrupted when they receive a call for help regarding other heroes, prompting Missy to join her father and meet with the offspring of the Heroics team. The planet is under siege by aliens, rendering the super heroes defenseless against their advanced weaponry.

Amidst this chaos, Ms. Granada (Priyanka Chopra), the program manager for the Heroics, calls upon Marcus, despite his retirement from active duty, having previously been the leading figure of the Heroics. With urgent implications, Ms. Granada, alongside the U.S. President Neil Anami (Christopher McDonald), greenlights an all-out assault against the alien fleet.

The government takes swift action to secure the Heroics children at their headquarters. However, Missy lacks any superpowers, placing her at a disadvantage among her peers. She soon encounters other children: Wheels (Andy Walken), the son of Miracle Guy who possesses extraordinary intellect; Noodles (Lyon Daniels), who can stretch like rubber; Ojo (Hala Finley), Ms. Granada’s stepdaughter who communicates artistically due to her muteness; A-Capella (Lotus Blossom), able to manipulate objects through her singing; Slo-Mo (Dylan Henry Lau), permanently in a slow-motion state; Face Maker (Andrew Diaz), who has the power to change his face at will; twins Rewind (Isaiah Russell-Bailey) and Fast Forward (Akira Akbar), who can manipulate time; Wild Card (Nathan Blair), who wields immense, yet uncontrollable power; and Guppy (Vivien Blair), who possesses the strength of a shark and the ability to shape water into various forms.

Among the parents supporting these young heroes are Anita Moreno (Adriana Barraza), Miracle Guy (Boyd Holbrook), Tech-No (Christian Slater), Lavagal (Taylor Dooley), Blinding Fast (Sung Kang), Ms. Vox (Haley Reinhart), Sharkboy (JJ Dashnaw), Crimson Legend (J. Quinton Johnson), Red Lightning Fury (Brittany Perry-Russell), Invisi Girl (Jamie Perez), and Crushing Low (Brently Heilbron).

The kids watch helplessly as their parents confront the aliens on TV, resulting in the capture of the Heroics. Missy soon discovers that Ojo has the ability to foresee events through her artistic creations. When one of Ojo's drawings reveals an imminent alien invasion of the vault, the children devise an escape plan.

Face Maker cleverly distracts the guards while Guppy subdues them, but an alarm is triggered during the effort. Fortunately, Rewind sends them back in time, halting the alarm in its tracks, while Wheels stops a guard from pushing an emergency button and Noodles snatches the security badges. Ms. Granada, noticing Missy in the hallway, tries to seal the exits, but A-Capella creates a staircase that leads them to the roof, facilitating their flight. They secure a vehicle and make their escape.

The group finds refuge at Missy's grandmother's home, a former trainer of the Heroics. Here, they learn to harness their powers and collaborate as a unit. However, the aliens soon arrive, prompting grandma to send the kids through a tunnel to safety. This leads them to an empty field before she is ultimately captured. Within this area, they discover an alien spacecraft and utilize it to board the Mother ship.

Upon locating a room filled with various aliens and a crucial purple pyramid poised to send the aliens to Earth, they overhear a conversation revealing that President Anami and Ms. Granada are, in fact, alien spies planning for an impending takeover. Sadly, the children are soon imprisoned. With remarkable creativity, Guppy uses her power to create a key from their tears to unlock the cell.

As a fierce battle between kids and aliens erupts, Wild Card is detained for interrogation while the rest push forward towards their goal. Wheels manages to hack the motherboard of the spaceship, but Ojo reveals her surprising ability to speak—she is the Supreme Commander of the alien forces! Missy then sends messages to Wild Card from the control room; meanwhile, Face Maker switches identities with him, causing confusion for Ms. Granada.

Once the protective shield around the mother board is disabled by Wild Card, the children manage to fend off the aliens while Wheels and Noodles cleverly swap out the motherboard to deactivate the alien rocket and thwart the takeover. To their astonishment, it turns out their parents emerge from the rocket as well. Ojo discloses that she and Ms. Granada orchestrated the "takeover" as a means to prepare the younglings to become the new generation of Heroics. With heartfelt reunions taking place, the kids stand ready to embark on their quest to protect the planet!

Last updated: November 15, 2024 at 17:37

Was this helpful?

Plot questions answered

We Can Be Heroes Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about We Can Be Heroes (2020): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why doesn't Missy Moreno have any superpowers?

Missy is the only child among the Heroics offspring who doesn't possess any superpowers. Despite being the daughter of Marcus Moreno, one of the most powerful heroes, she was simply born without abilities. This initially makes her feel out of place among her peers who all have extraordinary powers like elasticity, time manipulation, and precognition.

  • missy moreno
  • no powers
  • non-powered hero
  • protagonist
Q2

How do the children escape from the Heroics headquarters?

The kids execute a coordinated escape using their individual abilities. Face Maker distracts the guards while Guppy subdues them. When an alarm is triggered, Rewind sends them back in time to halt the alarm, Wheels stops a guard from pushing an emergency button, and Noodles snatches the security badges. A-Capella then creates a staircase to the roof, allowing them to flee in a vehicle.

Foreshadowing: Ojo's drawing of the vault invasion earlier prompted the children to plan their escape in advance.

  • escape plan
  • heroics headquarters
  • break out
  • kids escape
Q3

Who is Ojo and what are her true abilities?

Ojo is revealed to be the Supreme Commander of the alien forces, which shocks everyone during the battle on the mother ship. However, it's later clarified that this 'takeover' was orchestrated by Ojo and Ms. Granada as a test to train the children. Her actual revealed ability is that she can speak, contrary to her earlier mute communication through artistic drawings.

  • ojo
  • supreme commander
  • alien leader
  • reveal
Q4

Who are the alien spies in the government?

President Neil Anami and Ms. Granada are revealed to be alien spies planning an invasion of Earth. The children overhear this conversation inside the alien mother ship. However, this twist is later revealed to be part of an orchestrated plan, the 'takeover' was fake and designed as a training exercise to prepare the children to become the next generation of Heroics.

  • president anami
  • ms granada
  • alien spies
  • government betrayal
Q5

Why do the aliens invade Earth in the movie?

The alien invasion appears to be a coordinated attack using advanced weaponry that renders Earth's superheroes defenseless. However, it's revealed at the end that the entire invasion was orchestrated by Ojo and Ms. Granada as a means to prepare the young heroes for their future roles. The invasion was a controlled scenario designed to test and train the children.

  • alien invasion
  • alien attack
  • earth invasion
  • plot twist
Q6

How do the captured parents survive and return?

The parents were captured during the initial battle with the aliens and held on the mother ship. During the children's mission to disable the alien rocket, their parents emerge from the rocket itself, revealing they were inside it the whole time. The 'captivity' was part of the orchestrated training exercise, and the parents were never in real danger.

  • parents rescued
  • captured heroes
  • family reunion
  • parents return
Q7

Why is Missy chosen to lead the team despite having no powers?

Missy becomes the leader despite lacking superpowers because of her intelligence, resourcefulness, and natural leadership qualities. Her ability to coordinate the other children, devise strategies, and remain calm under pressure makes her the obvious choice to lead the rescue mission. The movie emphasizes that leadership isn't about having powers but about thinking strategically and bringing out the best in others.

  • missy leader
  • non-powered leader
  • team leader
  • missy moreno
Q8

What is the purple pyramid device on the alien ship?

The purple pyramid is a key device on the alien mother ship that serves as the mechanism to send the aliens to Earth. The children discover it in a room filled with various aliens, and disabling this device becomes central to stopping the alien takeover plan.

  • purple pyramid
  • alien device
  • mother ship
  • invasion device
Q9

What happens to Missy's grandmother during the alien attack?

Missy's grandmother, who was a former trainer of the Heroics, helps the children at her home by teaching them to harness their powers and work together. When the aliens arrive, she sends the kids through a secret tunnel to safety but is subsequently captured by the aliens.

  • grandma captured
  • missy grandmother
  • heroics trainer
Q10

How does Guppy create a key from tears?

Guppy possesses the ability to shape water into various forms and has the strength of a shark. While imprisoned on the mother ship, she uses her power to manipulate their tears into forming a key shape, which successfully unlocks their cell and allows the children to escape.

  • guppy
  • water powers
  • tears key
  • escape cell
Q11

What is Ms. Granada's true role in the alien invasion?

Ms. Granada, the program manager for Heroics, initially appears as a government handler working with the children's parents. She is revealed as an alien spy alongside President Anami. However, it's later disclosed that the entire invasion was a test she and Ojo orchestrated to prepare the children to become the next generation of Heroics.

  • ms granada
  • alien spy
  • heroics manager
  • orchestrator

Movie threads

More Movies Like We Can Be Heroes, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes We Can Be Heroes tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about the next generation of heroes like We Can Be Heroes

Kids with extraordinary powers must step up and save the day. If you enjoyed watching the kids save their parents in We Can Be Heroes, you'll love these other movies. Discover similar action-packed, family-friendly stories where young protagonists with unique powers learn teamwork and responsibility to overcome a major threat.

  • youthful
  • empowering
  • teamwork
  • adventurous
  • hopeful
  • discovery
  • Tone: hopeful, adventurous, playful
  • Pacing: fast, energetic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically begin with a crisis that incapacitates or sidelines the adult heroes (or authorities), forcing their progeny or other gifted youths to take charge. The story arc focuses on the kids learning to master their abilities, work as a team, and prove their worth, often culminating in a successful mission that earns them respect and solidifies their new roles.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share the core concept of child or teenage protagonists unexpectedly becoming the world's last hope. They balance high-stakes adventure with the lighter, more playful tone of youth, emphasizing themes of teamwork, self-discovery, and coming of age through extraordinary circumstances.

Movies with playful superpowered teams like We Can Be Heroes

A fun, fast-paced blend of unique powers and collaborative action. Looking for more movies with the fun team vibe of We Can Be Heroes? Explore these recommendations for stories featuring groups of heroes with quirky abilities. These films share a light tone, fast pacing, and a focus on teamwork, making them perfect for family viewing.

  • teamwork
  • quirky
  • energetic
  • inventive
  • playful
  • uplifting
  • Tone: light, uplifting, quirky
  • Pacing: fast-paced, energetic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern revolves around assembling a team of distinct individuals who must learn to synergize their unique and varied abilities. The conflict is designed to challenge them in ways that require collaboration rather than solo heroics. The journey is filled with moments of creative power usage, interpersonal bonding, and triumphant collective action.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together based on their shared vibe of lighthearted, action-packed teamwork. They prioritize the fun of seeing different powers interact and the uplifting message of unity over gritty individualism. The experience is consistently energetic, hopeful, and designed to be broadly entertaining.

If you liked this

Movies Like We Can Be Heroes

Similar movies to We Can Be Heroes: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

We Can Be Heroes (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about We Can Be Heroes in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app