G.I. Joe ‘Snake Eyes’ Spinoff Won’t Star Ray Park

Snake Eyes was arguably the stand out success of the first two G.I. Joe films, earning himself an upcoming spinoff film. Ray Park, who originally played the ninja, likely won’t be portraying the character in the new film, due to his age.

“Probably not, because we are going to the origin story,” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura shared with SlashFilm when asked if Park would star. “As you know in the comic book, you saw his face. And it is, I’ll say, the formation of a hero. So you’ve got to see somebody and it can’t be Ray’s age, unfortunately.”

Between playing Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, Park proved a powerful on-screen presence in films where his face was obscured, making him the perfect choice to embody the iconic character in 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. It’s unclear exactly how much before that film this upcoming Snake Eyes spinoff would take place, though the producer’s comments claim it would be far enough away that the 44-year-old actor wouldn’t pass for the young martial artist.

Earlier this year, Park reprised his role of Maul for Solo: A Star Wars Story, yet the appearance was little more than a cameo. When promoting Solo, Park expressed his interest in taking another crack at his G.I. Joe character.

“I’m in a different state in my life now then I was before. I’m a lot fitter, I’m older, I’m wiser I think, and I’d like to bring that to Snake Eyes…I was signed on for three movies, and I would like to do the third one. I’d like to finish it,” Park shared with Forbes. “I’ve been hearing these rumors about [G.I. Joe vs] Transformers, so I emailed Lorenzo and said hey, I’d love to be Snake Eyes again; just let me jump in and audition!”

Last year, a third G.I. Joe film got a 2020 release date, which could still potentially happen, allowing Park to close out his trilogy. However, the Snake Eyes spinoff now has a May 27, 2020 release date, which could potentially delay a third G.I. Joe film. It’s also possible that excitement over the Snake Eyes film builds momentum for that third G.I. Joe film, motivating the studio to double down and deliver two films in 2020.

Stay tuned for details about Snake Eyes.

Are you disappointed that Park won’t be starring in the spinoff or would you rather see him in a sequel to the previous films? Let us know in the comments below!