You should start keeping tabs onAndrew Kojinow because the current star of Cinemax’s epic martial arts seriesWarrioris about to make an even bigger break with the upcomingG.I. JoespinoffSnake Eyes. The forthcoming Paramount Pictures release starsHenry Golding(Crazy Rich Asians) as the titular Snake Eyes, the masked member of the G.I. Joe team. Koji is set to play Storm Shadow, who, at various points in theG.I. Joecanon, is either a diehard friend or staunch enemy of Snake Eyes.
Although filming onSnake Eyeshas wrapped, fans will have to wait until October 2021 to see Koji and Golding in their newG.I. Joefeature. Given that long wait time and our mounting curiosity about what to expect from this movie, Collider’s own Christina Radish didn’t waste the opportunity to ask Koji about his role as Storm Shadow during a conversation aboutWarriorSeason 2. Koji didn’t spill too many beans about theSnake Eyesstory, but what he did share about his approach to Storm Shadow and the qualities he wanted to bring to the character are just as intriguing. When asked what made him want to take on the role of Storm Shadow in the first place, Koji replied,
“I thought about playing that character [Storm Shadow] because I didn’t like the first two films. I can say that. I’m allowed to not like a film. So, I was hesitant, at first, to even accept that. That’s a big studio film and my first role in a big studio film, so I was very hesitant because I didn’t have that trust in Hollywood to do that. WhatWarriortaught me and the voice that it gave me helped my work on Storm Shadow. I don’t wanna play a character with a six-pack. I wanted him to be human and flawed; he’s going through stuff. For me, when I saw the firstG.I. Joefilms, I was like, ‘I don’t wanna do that. That’s not the kind of thing I wanna do.'”
Furthermore, with his casting, Koji — who is half-Japanese and half-English — wanted to ensure the depiction of Storm Shadow would have a positive impact and retained cultural authenticity.
“So, when I spoke with the director [Robert Schwentke] about that I said, ‘If I’m gonna play him, I have to do my research into Japanese culture and embrace that.’ There was an opportunity for me to do a performance in that kind of film for the next generation. My time in this business might end in a few years but a kid growing up might be able to watch that film and see a more realistic, grounded portrayal and feel like they can act and they can do this. Even if it’s in ninja form, they can still bring their own humanity to it. So, it was quite a deep thing for me, just because I had a lot of reservations about it, at first, but then they allowed me to do that. I’ve gotta give credit to those guys but that was all because of the skill I got fromWarrior.”
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Originswill be released in theaters on August 24, 2025. For more, see our complete2021 movie release calendar.
Allie Gemmill is the Weekend Contributing Editor for Collider. You can follow them on Twitter@_matineeidle.
