After two "G.I. Joe" films that failed to set the world on fire,
Paramount is taking the origin story approach with "Snake Eyes." But with a new cast and fresh story
comes new details to account for. Here are the biggest unanswered questions from "Snake Eyes:
G.I. Joe Origins."
Throughout most of the history of "G.I. Joe," the black bodysuit-clad ninja commando Snake Eyes is
rarely unmasked and doesn't speak — and actor Ray Park plays him this way in "The Rise of Cobra"
and "Retaliation." After all, giving Snake Eyes a voice and unmasking him in the films would
have gone against everything fans knew about the character from his previous appearances.
In the comic book "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" #27, we learn in the "Snake Eyes: The Origin"
story that Snake Eyes' face and vocal cords were severely burned in a helicopter explosion while
the commando was serving in one of his first missions with the Joes. However, in "Snake Eyes:
G.I. Joe Origins," we learn that Snake Eyes suffered a traumatic event in his childhood,
growing up into a drifter who seeks retribution for the tragedy. The reason for his new appearance
is simple: We're meeting Snake Eyes earlier in life, and he doesn't actually put on the
helmet and face shield associated with the character until the final scene.
"No one cared who I was until I put on the mask."
Naturally, the film leaves the door open for more Snake Eyes and "G.I. Joe Origins" film adventures,
so only time will tell whether Henry Golding's iteration of the character
will get to the point where Snake Eyes doesn't remove his mask and ceases to speak.
That scenario appears to be unlikely for Paramount and Hasbro in the short term,
since it would make no sense for them to conceal Golding, whose career has been
on the rise since his breakthrough in the 2018 hit romantic comedy drama "Crazy Rich Asians."
Making a memorable first impression in "Snake Eyes" is Haruka Abe,
who plays the Arashikage Clan's head of security — a new character in the "G.I. Joe" franchise.
The exciting thing for Abe is, Akiko is far from just a functional character in
"Snake Eyes," as director Robert Schwentke gave the actor just as many action scenes as
her co-stars. Her character is so pivotal, in fact, that she's getting a "Snake Eyes:
G.I. Joe Origins" action figure produced by Hasbro. That's a true honor, since
action figures are as pivotal to the success of the franchise as all its other forms of media.
On top of all that, Akiko's storyline is primed to continue — Akiko provides Snake
Eyes with his signature costume and mask and joins him in his quest "to
get Tommy back" after Tommy swears off the Arashikage Clan and becomes Storm Shadow.
Mulling Akiko's potential involvement in future "G.I. Joe" installments,
Abe is certainly up for more Akiko, telling "Looper" in an exclusive interview,
"I think there's so much to be explored about her background and also her relationship, her
dynamic with Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. So yeah, I can't wait to see where her character will go."
Given that four major "G.I. Joe" characters have been recast for "Snake Eyes," it appears
the franchise is intent on starting from scratch. Since the first two "G.I. Joe" films fell short of
box office blockbuster status, the franchise had to do some major retooling, and a reboot of the
movie series was the most sensible way to do it. While future installments of "G.I. Joe Origins"
will depend on box office performance and fan reception,the ending of "Snake Eyes" promises a
return of Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, the Baroness, and Scarlett. That could come in the form of a
"Snake Eyes 2," but more likely, if the studio is serious about the backstory concept, they
could return in a different "G.I. Joe: Origins" movie featuring another Joe or Cobra character.
As for the possibility of seeing any of the actors from "The Rise of Cobra" or "Retaliation" turn up,
it's pretty unlikely.
While the ending of "Snake Eyes" promises more adventures with the new cast,
what those adventures will be and who they will involve
remains a mystery. Based on the final act in "Snake Eyes," one of the angles will
involve Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, and to a larger extent, the Joes and Cobra,
since the Baroness appears to have recruited Tommy into the ranks of the organization.
Since "G.I. Joe Origins" is part of the "Snake Eyes" film title, it's reasonable to think that
more origin movies could be on the way. Whatever their current plans might be,
Paramount Pictures isn't tipping its hand in terms of the new direction of the franchise just yet.
However, "Deadline" reported in May 2021 that screenwriters Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse,
who co-wrote the 2019 biographical thriller "Seberg," starring Kristen Stewart,
are writing their own movie set in the "G.I. Joe" universe,
meant to serve as a sequel to and build off of what was established in "Snake Eyes."
Apart from any potential new "G.I. Joe" films, at least one other beloved character from the
franchise is getting their own spinoff. In February 2021, "Deadline" reported
that streaming giant Amazon was developing a standalone Lady Jaye series based on the Joes'
famed undercover operative. Making her debut in the "G.I. Joe" animated series in 1984,
Lady Jaye was first played in live action by Adrianne Palicki in "G.I. Joe: Retaliation."
According to "Deadline,"
"The series will be a standalone story centered around Jaye,
which will also connect to the larger 'G.I. Joe' universe."
Could that mean that we could see Golding and his fellow "Snake Eyes" actors appear in the
"Lady Jaye" spinoff? While no actors or story timeline have been revealed yet, it's possible.
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