So the latest word on the upcoming GI Joe movie (still very early in development) is that they’re de-Americanizing the Real American Heroes:

In a follow-up to their confirmation that Stephen Sommers will direct G.I. Joe, Variety offers this new description of the team: “G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond than a war film.”

Leaving aside for a moment the development that Cobra will apparently be headed by Destro rather than Cobra Commander (or perhaps it’ll be a Cobra Commander with Destro’s backstory)… Brussels?! What the holy heck?

I guess I can understand the international danger in American armed services actually being the good guys and in that vein I’m actually not so much bothered by GI Joe being an arm of an international entity. For some reason it’s the whole Brussels part that bugs the living crap out of me. Why not just make them part of the UN and let them at least be based out of the US?

What’s interesting here is that for all the grief I’m sure they’ll be catching for this in conservative circles, they actually dodged what could have been a much more politically potent plot. In the comic books, Cobra actually got its start as something of a right-wing domestic militia. They could have made Cobra a secret, maybe Klannish, organization working both within and outside of our government. It could have all manner of irritating politically correct goodness.

But man… Brussels. What the holy heck is up with that? I’m actually wondering if they’re going to go through and start assigning different nationalities to all the old faves. Flint could be French, already wearing the beret and all.


Category: Theater

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9 Responses to Real Global Entity Heroes

  1. Peter says:

    Brussels might have been chosen because it’s the headquarters of the European Union and calls itself “the capital of Europe.”

  2. trumwill says:

    Yeah, I know about Brussels and the EU. But that’s the equivalent of having an international task force in DC. It’s their capital, not a world capital. At least NYC is the home of the UN.

  3. logtar says:

    GI is something I associate with an American soldier… this is not going to be good… what is next making Captain America Captain world and making him wear a rainbow suit?

  4. trumwill says:

    It certainly doesn’t inspire confidence, does it?

  5. David Alexander says:

    BTW, Brussels is the home of NATO’s command structure, so it isn’t unusual to use the city as the home for a global defense force. Still, it seems rather silly to de-Americanize a series like GI Joe. I suspect it’s an attempt to sell the product in overseas markets, but even then, I suspect that Europeans and others are expecting rough tough American heroes too?

  6. trumwill says:

    Brussels is the home of NATO’s command structure, so it isn’t unusual to use the city as the home for a global defense force.

    That’s the missing information I needed. It still doesn’t make me think that this is a good idea, but thank you for providing it, David.

  7. Rob says:

    I’m actually happy that Destro is heading Cobra. He always wanted the job, it’s nice to see that his ambition finally paid off. As for race, I always thought Destro was black.

    Cobra commander is too Voldemorty now.

  8. trumwill says:

    I’d thought that Destro was black, too. Hard to tell from under that helmet, though. I think it was his bone structure that gave me that impression.

    As for Cobra Commander… I think some personality retooling could work wonders. He has a certain Grand Dragon quality to him that Destro lacks.

  9. Rob says:

    I’m glad I’m not the only one. I googled Destro, and it seems he’s always been Scottish, but I don’t remember him ever having an accent.

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