The Major Characters In The Final Snake Eyes Trailer Explained
Now that some movies are back playing exclusively in theaters, a huge slate of long-delayed blockbusters is scheduled for release. One of those movies is "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins," which was originally set to be released in March of 2020, only to be delayed for more than a year. "Snake Eyes" will be hitting theaters on July 23, and a final trailer for the film was just released.
As was the case in the film's previous trailers, this one features plenty of action from star Henry Golding, but it also features the roster of characters that will surround Golding's Snake Eyes in the film. Those characters include several that should be recognizable to longtime fans of "G.I Joe," but fans who are newer to the world of "Snake Eyes" and "G.I. Joe" might not be too familiar with people like Storm Shadow, Scarlett, and the Baroness. All of these characters are crucial to Snake Eyes' origin story, and they also play significant roles in the larger universe.
Storm Shadow is Snake Eyes' friend and partner
Storm Shadow, whose real name is Thomas Arashikage, has a history in "G.I. Joe" comics that is defined largely by his constant side switching. In the trailers for "Snake Eyes," Storm Shadow is played by Andrew Koji, and it's clear that he and Snake Eyes form a bond early in the movie. Snake Eyes is supposed to kill him for reasons that are still unclear, but instead, spares Storm Shadow. In exchange, Storm Shadow introduces him to a world of assassins.
Storm Shadow's family history is one defined by a long line of assassins, and outside of his relationship with Snake Eyes, he's best known for being the Cobra Commander's bodyguard. In the comics, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow served in the U.S. military together, and the latter invites the former to train as a ninja in Japan. He is known as a world-class martial artist and ninja and is defined in part by his speed. The relationship between Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes is always changing, so although they may start "Snake Eyes" as friends, there's no guarantee that they'll stay that way.
Scarlett is a prodigy/genius
While she's no slouch in a fight, Scarlett (Samara Weaving) is best known for her brains. There's not a ton of footage of her in the trailers, but Scarlett is an expert in counterintelligence. She's also known for foregoing a gun or sword for a crossbow, which she uses to fire a wide variety of specialized arrows at her enemies. Scarlett has iconic red hair, and both the crossbow and the red hair are featured in the images we've seen of her thus far.
Scarlett tends to be a loyal member of the G.I. Joe team, and unlike Storm Shadow, she's not known for switching sides. In the comics, it's revealed that Snake Eyes and Scarlett met during the early days of the G.I. Joe team. Scarlett was able to quickly best most members of the team in hand-to-hand combat, but Snake Eyes allows her to win, even though he's a better fighter. The two become close friends afterward and are two of the most iconic members of the G.I. Joe squad.
The Baroness is a villainess in G.I. Joe mythology
The third major character that the "Snake Eyes" trailer introduces us to is The Baroness (Úrsula Corberó). The Baroness is usually an operative of Cobra and is second in command only to the Cobra Commander. She is typically depicted wearing glasses and sporting long black hair, although the movie version of her seems to have a slightly shorter hairdo.
The Baroness is also a counterintelligence officer, and her skillset aligns closely with Scarlett's. She's often depicted as a femme fatale, someone who is beautiful and ruthless in equal measure and is therefore capable of manipulating and seducing men. Although we've been given glimpses of her in the trailers, it's impossible to say exactly how The Baroness will be adapted for the big screen.
The Baroness was given her name because she was born to rich European parents and eventually found her way into international terrorism after getting involved in student activism and other fringe movements. Canonically, she's also undergone major plastic surgery after recovering from severe burns during a Cobra operation. It's possible that this piece of her origin story could be covered in "Snake Eyes."