Although Owen Wilson, Jesse Williams, and Michael Peña were among the very few adults in this film, young actors Walker Scobell and Momona Tamada stole the show.
This Paramount Plus kid-friendly take on a typical Marvel story is the perfect movie for viewers of all ages. Owen Wilson (who can actually be found in the MCU as TVA Agent Mobius) plays a part-time father and part-time secret superhero (aptly named The Guard) in this new movie, Secret Headquarters. His unsuspecting son Charlie, played by Walker Scobell, has to learn new things about his distant and often absent father when he accidentally finds The Guard’s secret headquarters (roll the credits…) underneath his dad’s house. As an avid fan of The Guard and an angsty teenager, Charlie Kincaid doesn’t seem to come to terms with his relationship with The Guard:
“My dad is not The Guard. The Guard is like the greatest hero ever. My dad can’t handle hot wings. I’ve seen him without his shirt on. He can barely swim. My dad is not The Guard.”
Scobell, who you may recognize from his first movie “The Adam Project” with Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner, and Mark Ruffalo, is one of my favorite new actors. To say he is a force to be reckoned with is an understatement. I mean, what other actors can say their first two films were lead roles next to Ryan Reynolds and Owen Wilson… not many, I can tell you that.
Additionally, with a movie about rambunctious teens, there’s almost always an underlying love story, and Secret Headquarters did not fail to provide us with a sweet romance subplot. With elements of humor and the return of a longtime crush to Charlie’s life, things are getting exponentially complicated for this fourteen-year-old.
The returning crush in question is Maya, played by talented young actress Momona Tamada. Maya is street smart and well-traveled, which lends the perfect juxtaposition to the other young characters who tended to be quite airy, providing comedic relief for the film, making it the ideal movie to watch when you’re 10 or 21. Tamada’s witty one-liners and chemistry with Scobell brought the movie to a new level. It’s evident that the cast got close while filming (from looking at Instagram, it seems Walker, Momona, and Abby are still hanging out while filming their new respective projects in Canada!)
Walker has proved time and time again that he can nail each action role with a dysfunctional relationship with their father. This agenda is being furthered as filming is underway for the new Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Walker Scobell will be playing the titular role of Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, and if his first two roles indicate what’s to come, he will be the perfect demigod for the role! Hey… even Logan Lerman approves.