G.I. Joe’s Failed Comeback: Analyzing Snake Eyes’ Impact On The Franchise

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A fondness for the 1980s consistently proves popular in movies and television. From Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things to blockbuster film series like Transformers, tapping into ’80s nostalgia is often a winning formula.

Even the upcoming 2026 film, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, is hoping to benefit from the current trend of revisiting classic properties. However, G.I. Joe, another popular franchise from the 1980s, hasn’t found the same success. The G.I. Joe movies haven’t performed well, and the 2021 reboot, Snake Eyes, wasn’t able to revitalize the series.

Snake Eyes Was GI Joe’s Attempt At Restarting Their Franchise

The 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra wasn’t well-received, and although G.I. Joe: Retaliation was better, it didn’t quite feel like a true G.I. Joe movie – it was just a solid action film. After that, the franchise faded into relative obscurity.

In 2021, filmmakers tried a common tactic: telling the origin story of a popular character. The movie Snake Eyes did just that, focusing on the beginnings of the character of the same name. However, it was a strange choice from the outset.

Snake Eyes is known for always concealing his face and rarely speaking. He’s best understood as a valuable team player rather than a central character with his own detailed storyline.

What makes Snake Eyes so interesting is that the character remains largely unknown. Even dedicated fans weren’t necessarily asking for a backstory – the mystery surrounding him is a key part of his appeal.

Snake Eyes Didn’t Feel Like A GI Joe Movie At All

The movie Snake Eyes didn’t quite fit into the G.I. Joe world because the main character spoke and didn’t wear his signature mask. It felt more like a standard action film with some recognizable characters than a true G.I. Joe story.

One of the things that made G.I. Joe so popular is seeing a team work as one. For kids who played with the toys, a big part of the fun was creating their own large-scale battles between the heroes and the villains from Cobra.

Focusing on Snake Eyes in a solo movie diminishes the core team dynamic that fans love about G.I. Joe. While the film includes characters like Baroness, Storm Shadow, and Scarlett, it doesn’t deliver the team-based action people were hoping for. Ultimately, it feels like a drawn-out introduction to a future of G.I. Joe movies that probably won’t happen.

The Future Of GI Joe In Movies

The movie Snake Eyes is nearly two hours long, and the main character doesn’t get his iconic look until the very end. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a success, earning only about $40 million despite costing around $100 million to make.

Before 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, there were no updates regarding the future of G.I. Joe movies. The film included a hint about G.I. Joe, suggesting a possible crossover between the two franchises.

The Transformers movie didn’t perform well, which created uncertainty about the future of G.I. Joe. However, 2026 might bring some good news for dedicated fans, though it’s happening in a surprising way.

I was excited to hear Paramount is considering new G.I. Joe movies! They apparently heard pitches from two different people: Danny McBride, who I love from The Righteous Gemstones, and Max Landis, the guy behind Chronicle. It’s a bit complicated though, because Landis has faced some serious accusations of misconduct, so that definitely casts a shadow over his potential involvement.

Paramount seems to be considering combining two different concepts for a new movie, which is a somewhat unusual approach. There’s also been some debate about working with John Landis, adding to the challenges for the G.I. Joe franchise. Plus, the 2021 film Snake Eyes didn’t perform well, so the future of the series is uncertain.

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2026-03-26 18:21