Cobra Commander Talks G.I. Joe

One sentence I never thought I’d be writing:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who will play the nefarious Cobra-Commander in next summer’s live-action adaptation of G.I. Joe, recently spoke with MTV and let it be known just what kind of grueling process he must undergo to be transformed into Cobra’s serpentine leader.

(And thank God he did, because I can’t be the only one to wonder who was smoking what when they cast Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander.)

See what J G-L had to say about his role as CC, and the G.I. Joe flick as a whole:

“The cool thing about my character was that it’s not that digital,” exclaimed Gordon-Levitt, revealing that he underwent significant changes to adapt to the role. “I get to put hours of prosthetic makeup on and see a different creature altogether. I’ve seen how he looks and it’s really cool.”

Ok, so it sounds like we might actually get the Cobra Commander we know and love. Cool.

I was a little skeptical back when I saw the first stills of Chris Eccleston as a flesh and blood Destro. And although people from the G.I. Joe camp keep screaming that this first film is going to be an “origin story,” (which actually establishes the Joe universe we’re all familiar with,) the truth of the matter is that unless the marketing team is relying on Snake Eyes to be the sole icon that lures people into theaters, the general public needs to see more familiar images from the 80’s cartoon they loved, before buzz about G.I. Joe can build to a frenzy.

One possible strike against the film: Gordon-Levitt went on to tell MTV that as far as Cobra Commander’s iconic, high-pitched rasp is concerned, he’s committed to doing away with the past:

“I love that voice [from the cartoon],” enthused Gordon-Levitt. “Chris Latta is a fantastic voiceover artist, but if you did that exact voice it would sound ridiculous in a live-action movie. I guess it’s half Chris Latta and half me.”

Does the kid have a point?

So far, the reinvention of G.I. Joe has been looking fairly respectable. I’m eager to see the first trailer debut, whenever that will happen. After about ten seconds of watching it, I have a feeling I’ll know with absolute certainty just where I stand on the subject of G.I. Joe.

Check out MTV Movie Blog to read J G-L’s full interview, then let us know how you feel about how G.I. Joe is shaping up for its release on August 7, 2009.

Source: MTV News