You probably know her as Tokyo. The reckless, short-fused narrator of Money Heist who stole every scene with a bob cut and a "don’t care" attitude. But back in 2021, Úrsula Corberó took a massive leap from Spanish TV superstardom into the middle of a $100 million Hollywood gamble. She stepped into the polished black boots of the Baroness for Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, and honestly, she was the only one who seemed to be having any real fun.
The movie itself? It’s complicated. Fans were pretty split on the whole "rebooting the origin" thing. People had a lot of feelings about Henry Golding playing a version of Snake Eyes who actually talks and shows his face for 90% of the runtime. But through the middle of all that ninja angst and the clashing katanas, Corberó’s Baroness arrived like a shot of pure espresso.
The Baroness Reimagined: More Than Just a Catsuit
Most people remember the Baroness from the 80s cartoons or maybe Sienna Miller’s take in 2009. She’s usually the "femme fatale" archetype—lots of leather, cold glares, and a vaguely European accent. Úrsula Corberó didn't just copy the old homework. She brought this weird, magnetic energy to the role that made the character feel modern but still dangerous.
Basically, she plays Anastasia Cisarovna, a top-tier intelligence officer for Cobra. If you’ve seen the film, you know her introduction isn't some slow-burn mystery. She pops up as this established power player who is clearly several steps ahead of everyone else. Corberó plays her with a mix of "naughty librarian" (a vibe noted by some critics at the time) and high-stakes arms dealer.
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There’s a specific scene where she’s bantering with Samara Weaving’s Scarlett. It’s easily one of the highlights of the movie. You’ve got these two powerhouse women representing the biggest factions in G.I. Joe lore—Cobra and the Joes—and the chemistry is just electric. They aren't just fighting; they’re sizing each other up with this heavy history that the script barely even had to explain because the actors sold it so well.
The Training Was No Joke
Don’t let the glamorous glasses and perfect hair fool you. Corberó has talked openly about how brutal the prep for this role was. We’re talking four hours of stunt training a day for months. In interviews after the release, she mentioned how by the fourth day of rehearsals in Vancouver, she literally couldn't move. She had to ask for help just to reach things on a table because her muscles were so wrecked.
That effort shows up on screen. Even though she’s a "supporting" character, her movements are sharp. She handles the weaponry with a confidence that matches the veteran stunt teams. It’s a far cry from the more internal, emotional work she did in Spanish dramas like Física o Química or the historical series Isabel. This was her first big Hollywood "break," and she clearly didn't want to waste the opportunity by just standing in the background.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Movie's Failure
If you look at the box office numbers, Snake Eyes was a bit of a disaster. It grossed around $40 million against a budget that hovered near $100 million. But it’s unfair to pin that on the cast. The film suffered from a "shaky-cam" problem that drove a lot of action purists crazy. Director Robert Schwentke chose a style that made it hard to appreciate the actual choreography that guys like Andrew Koji (Storm Shadow) and Iko Uwais (Hard Master) were putting their souls into.
Also, the timing was just bad. 2021 was still a weird, transitional year for theaters.
But for Corberó fans, the movie is a bit of a cult gem. It proved she could handle English-language scripts—which she’d dipped her toes into earlier with the series Snatch alongside Rupert Grint—and that she had the "it" factor to hold her own against Hollywood heavyweights.
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Why the Baroness Still Matters for Corberó’s Career
Since Snake Eyes, Úrsula has only grown as a global icon. She’s an ambassador for Bulgari and continues to be one of the most followed Spanish celebrities on the planet. But the Baroness role showed a different side of her:
- Villainy with Depth: She didn't make the Baroness a one-dimensional cartoon.
- Physical Range: She proved she could do the "action hero" (or villain) thing as well as anyone in the MCU.
- Crossover Appeal: She successfully transitioned from being "the girl from that Netflix show" to a legitimate cinematic presence.
Some die-hard G.I. Joe fans complained that she looked "too young" or that her casting was just for international appeal. But honestly? Look at the source material. The Baroness has always been about style and intellect as much as she’s been about combat. Corberó nailed the arrogance. When she walks into a room in that movie, you believe she owns it.
The Actionable Takeaway for Fans
If you skipped Snake Eyes because of the mid-tier reviews, it might be worth a "fast-forward" watch just for the Cobra/Joe world-building. Specifically, watch the scenes where Corberó and Weaving share the screen. It’s a masterclass in how to play iconic rivals without falling into every single cliché in the book.
If you want to see more of Corberó’s evolution, check out her work in The Tree of Blood (El Árbol de la Sangre) on Netflix. It’s totally different—moody, psychological, and intense—but it shows the range she brought to the table before she ever picked up a Cobra-issued sidearm.
To really appreciate her performance in Snake Eyes, pay attention to her facial expressions during the dialogue scenes. While the lead characters are busy being "brooding ninjas," she’s using her eyes and her smirk to tell a much more interesting story about the politics of the G.I. Joe world. It’s subtle work in a movie that is anything but subtle.