It may have been Henry Golding’s birthday, but he opted to give fans a gift instead of the other way around.
Filming on the upcoming G.I. Joe spin-off film Snake Eyes, which Golding stars in the titular role, has been underway in Japan for some time. On Wednesday, Golding took to Instagram with our first look at him in costume as the character.
Admittedly, you can’t tell much from the snap, which is a black-and-white shot of Golding from behind in his costume. But you can see enough to know that he looks like a veritable badass. But we knew he would. Clad with a dangerous sword draped across his back, he’s making his way up a series of stone steps to a temple in the distance. It’s just enough to make us want to see more, and that’s probably why Golding decided to stop there. Gotta keep up the suspense, and all.
It’s a shot that brings to mind classic Japanese cinema and samurai movies, which is a move made on purpose, according to Snake Eyes director Robert Schwentke. Though Golding appeared to be unmasked in the Instagram shot, the character rarely is seen without it. Giving viewers a look at the man behind the mask seems like an intriguing move to bring more humanity to the G.I. Joe mainstay, and it’ll be interesting to see what Golding brings to the role.
This isn’t the first time the character of Snake Eyes has made an appearance in the G.I. Joe film universe, but he was previously portrayed by Ray Park in 2009’s The Rise of Cobra and 2013’s Retaliation. This time around, Paramount and Hasbro have indicated, the G.I. Joe universe is kicking off with a “new timeline,” starting with Snake Eyes.
Snake Eyes is set to slither into theaters on October 23.
