The G.I. Joe franchise is getting a relaunch this summer with Snake Eyes, a spinoff/prequel movie starring Crazy Rich Asians‘ Henry Golding in the title role. It’s been eight years since the last film in the series landed – 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a sequel to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – but fans should prepare themselves for this reboot, which has a good shot at being the best cinematic adaptation of the Hasbro property yet.
You might’ve forgotten this one was on its way due to the lack of marketing for it to date, but these new first look images will surely raise the hype for it again. Two photos showcase Golding in action as Snake Eyes, who was previously played in the first two films by Star Wars‘ Ray Park. Meanwhile, another shot gives us a glimpse of Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) as Scarlett, replacing Rachel Nicholls. Last but not least, there’s Cobra femme fatale The Baroness, with Ursula Corbero stepping into Sienna Miller’s shoes.
Robert Schwentke (Red, R.I.P.D.) is on directing duties, with the script coming from Evan Spiliotopoulos (Beauty and the Beast). Andrew Koji is also in the cast as Storm Shadow, the ninja with conflicted loyalties who fans will know has a complicated history with Snake Eyes. Iko Uwais and Peter Mensah are likewise on board as mentors Hard Master and Blind Master, respectively.
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Golding gushed about how stoked he is for fans to get to see Snake Eyes’ origins story play out, as well as teasing that the plan is for this to launch a new G.I. Joe universe. This echoes what the star has said before, as well as following up on previous reports that he’s already signed on for a sequel.
“Having this solo movie, we get to set the precedent for where [Snake’s] story leads,” Golding explained. “It’s phenomenal that Paramount and Hasbro chose to go right to the beginning and really start off with such a story. It gives so much more creative control over where this universe is going. I’m crazy excited to see what we do next.”
One of many blockbusters held over from 2020 due to the pandemic, Snake Eyes – or, to give it its full title, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins – was originally set to drop last March, but is now on course to hit theaters on July 23rd.
