Snake Eyes Trailer Kicks Henry Golding Through A G.I. Joe Origin Thriller

Henry Golding as Snake Eyes

The character of Snake Eyes from the G.I. Joe series has a few distinct qualities. Stealth and deadly, he moves like a ninja and fights like a samurai warrior. His headpiece is a signature design, covering his entire face to basically intimidate any foe he’s across from. And he’s silent -- though the cause of his silence has changed depending on which origin you choose to believe. So in the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, of course we get Henry Golding’s handsome face… and he’s talking!

Trust us, this all makes sense eventually. Watch the trailer above, and we will explain.

As you can tell, Snake Eyes will be an origin story of sorts for the assassin character of the title, before he’s recruited by the forces of G.I. Joe. Henry Golding plays the lead, a skilled fighter with a mysterious past who embarks on a journey of training that will one day turn him into the warrior G.I. Joe fans recognize. The trailer goes out of its way to emphasize this story as the “beginning” of Snake Eye’s long journey, and that it’s up to him on which path he chooses to venture.

While Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins focuses heavy on the early days of the main character, you can tell that there are traces of the G.I. Joe mythology already in play as the universe is mapped out and established. Bill & Ted Face the Music co-star Samara Weaving lands the coveted role in Snake Eyes as Scarlett, a character Joe fans know will grow to become a love interest for Henry Golding’s Snake.

Meanwhile, Snake Eyes casts Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow and Úrsula Corberó as The Baroness, two recognizable villains from the G.I. Joe canon. However, in an exclusive interview with CinemaBlend, Henry Golding told us that the characters we know as villains might not start that way in this film. Said Golding:

We all know that Snake Eyes’ lifelong adversary is Storm Shadow. But this being the origin, they never started off as enemies. So it's interesting to see, especially within this story, where that develops. But of course we know for a fact Cobra has some meddling in this story. And we know Úrsula Corberó, a fantastic actress, will be playing Baroness. You can play with a mix of the two without giving away too much.

We should get a longer Snake Eyes trailer as we get closer to the film’s release date on July 23. Available only in theaters from Paramount, Snake Eyes looks to bolster what’s quickly becoming an exciting summer blockbuster season at the multiplex. Make sure you look over our 2021 Release Date Calendar to see what else is opening soon, so you can plan your trips to the movies accordingly.

Sean O'Connell
Managing Editor

Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.