The Real-Life Inspiration Behind The Thumb-Thumbs From Spy Kids

"Spy Kids" is an iconic children's action franchise. A story about two kids with access to state-of-the-art technology while trying to find their lost parents, who just happen to be spies? It was every kid's dream in the early 2000s! Since the first film debuted in 2001, "Spy Kids" has grown into a sprawling universe with a total of five movies and a Netflix animated series. (And, according to some theories, Danny Trejo's R-rated "Machete" films.) There's plenty to love about the films and show, including its iconic villain henchmen.

"Star Wars" has cloned troops with poor aim, Gru of "Despicable Me" has Minions who speak Minionese, and Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), the original "Spy Kids" antagonist, has Thumb-Thumbs. Floop's servants look exactly like their name suggests: they're a thumb with two arms and two legs that are also thumbs. Like the Minions, they aren't considered the most intelligent help, and they tend to be on the clumsier side because, well, running on thumbtips instead of feet is difficult.

Thumb-Thumbs are a product of the mind of "Spy Kids" creator and director, Robert Rodriguez. Long before he created the kid-friendly action franchise, Rodriguez discovered in high school that, while he couldn't draw hands well, he could draw thumbs. This artistic quirk eventually led to the creation of the now-infamous "Spy Kids" henchmen.

While promoting "Spy Kids: Armageddon," the franchise's most recent film, Robert Rodriguez revealed where he got the idea for Floop's Thumb-Thumbs. "I was so bad at drawing hands, that I was just drawing my thumb. When I drew it, it looked like a head," the director revealed in an interview with Decider. "So I turned it that way, and I drew it as an arm and another arm and then legs, and I kept angling it for the limbs." He even won a contest with the concept, adding an eyeball to serve as a soccer ball so the thumb person was playing a sport.

Though "Armageddon" doesn't feature the original "Spy Kids" cast or Thumb-Thumbs, Rodriguez hasn't ruled out the return of the fan-favorite henchmen in future installments. "I would love to bring the Thumb-Thumbs back," he said. As an idea he developed when he was 16 years old, he feels that "they're authentically, made by kids, for kids," also saying that it was "so wild" to see the first character he ever created not only on screen but in the merchandise that accompanied the movie as well. Here's hoping Thumb-Thumbs return to our screens soon!