G.I. Joe Future Update Is A Promising Sign For Paying Off 3-Year-Old Cliffhanger

One future update surrounding the G.I. Joe live-action franchise promises to finally pay off a 3-year-old cliffhanger. Unlike the Transformers films, which have experienced both the extreme highs and lows of critical reception, the live-action G.I. Joe films have been consistently panned by critics. However, despite their poor critical ratings, the G.I. Joe films lasted for three installments because the first two films, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, were commercially successful.

Unfortunately, since the third film in the franchise, Snake Eyes, failed both commercially and critically, the G.I. Joe live-action franchise seemingly ended abruptly. However, some new optimistic updates surrounding the franchise suggest it may be poised for a resurgence. This resurgence not only makes room for a fascinating toy franchise crossover but also promises to pay off a 3-year-old cliffhanger.

Henry Golding’s G.I. Joe Comments Could Mean Snake Eyes Will Become Canon For Transformers

Golding’s comment suggests G.I. Joe’s live-action future may not be a complete reboot

G.I. Joe and the Transformers live-action franchises have gone through several changes over the years. While the G.I. Joe franchise was expanded in 2021 with the introduction of the Snake Eyes film, Bumblebee and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rebooted the overarching live-action Transformers franchise. Interestingly, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts also features a cliffhanger towards its ending, hinting at a potential G.I. Joe and Transformers crossover in future films. However, since it establishes no connections with the live-action G.I. Joe films, it becomes hard not to assume that the crossover may reboot live-action G.I. Joe.

While that may still be a possibility, Henry Golding’s comments (via Comicbook) about G.I. Joe’s future suggest that Snake Eyes could become canon for Transformers. Sharing his insights on what the future may hold for the G.I. Joe franchise, the actor said that he thinks “it’s going to be a combination of what has come and what is to come.“ The fact that he believes that G.I. Joe‘s live-action future could still be connected to live-action G.I. Joe films suggests that Snake Eyes may get integrated into the broader Transformers and G.I. Joe future crossover.

Transformers’ G.I. Joe Crossover Can Resolve Snake Eyes’ Ending & Sequel Teases

Snake Eyes’ ending may not go to waste if he is involved in Transformers’ potential crossover plans

2021’s Snake Eyes ends with a cliffhanger that paves the way for future films. In the movie’s closing arc, Akiko offers Snake Eyes a black suit before Scarlett tells him how his father was a member of the G.I. Joe. Before the film’s credits start rolling, Snake Eyes gets invited to join a military peacekeeping organization. Meanwhile, Tommy receives an invitation from The Baroness to join forces with the Cobra. What makes Snake Eyes ending even more fascinating is that it shares many parallels with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts‘ closing arc.

Just like Snake Eyes gets the opportunity to join the G.I. Joe, Rise of the Beasts‘ Noah is asked if he would be interested in teaming up with the Joes. A future Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover film could leverage these parallels between the two films to highlight how their events are intertwined, resolving Snake Eyes‘ sequel tease. This would make room for Snake Eyes’ involvement in future Transformers films. While this may present some timeline issues, audiences would be willing to stretch their suspension of disbelief, given how the Transformers live-action films have always had a skewed timeline.

How Snake Eyes Joining Transformers Canon Would Help The G.I. Joe Franchise’s Future

Snake Eyes involvement in Transformers’ canon could get more eyes on the overarching franchise

Even if the potential Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover reboots the existing lore of the live-action G.I. Joe movies, the mere prospect of the two toy franchises coming together in the live-action medium is exciting. However, if Snake Eyes joins the Transformers canon, it could bring a sense of familiarity and consistency to the overarching franchise, bridging the gap between the Transformers reboot films and the live-action G.I. Joe movies. This integration between Transformers and G.I. Joe will not only get viewers more invested in the franchise’s future installments but also set the stage for long-term franchise potential.