History Trivia / GIJoeTheRiseofCobra

--> “I shouldn’t have played a villain in a comic book because I’m just not that villainous or tall or strong. I am internally, of course, but I couldn’t fire a gun without blinking. I’m not a particularly physically threatening presence. The whole thing was a bit of a disaster from start to finish.”

* FollowTheLeader: While the film had been in development before, it was the success of ''{{Film/Transformers}}'' that got it put into production.

** Don Murphy was going to produce the film in 2003, but he made ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' instead. Mitchell Amundsen was the cinematographer of both films.

* DyeingForYourArt: Sienna Miller (Baroness) is actually blonde, and Rachel Nichols (Scarlett) is a brunette. Although we ''do'' see Miller Pre-Baroness with blonde hair.

** The President of the United States is British. If you've played ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer: Red Alert 3'', he's particularly eyebrow-raising.
** Try ''the Baroness'' (Sienna Miller was born in NYC, but raised in England). Which is pretty damn funny, given the character's origins in the comics.
** Snake Eyes is played by a Scot (though not only he's TheVoiceless, but his young version in the flashback is American).
* FakeNationality: Given InterchangeableAsianCultures, the Japanese Storm Shadow is played by a Korean as an adult, and an American of Chinese descent as a teen. Certainly a case of AbilityOverAppearance, as Lee Byung-Hun was ''perfect'' in the role.

* MoneyDearBoy:
** Presumably why Creator/ChristopherEccleston decided to take part in this film, in addition to [[LargeHam just having]] [[HamAndCheese fun]].
** Several years later, Creator/ChanningTatum said that he wanted to pull out of the film, but was locked into a three picture contract and would have been sued if he tried to break the deal.

* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/JosephGordonLevitt signed on to the film as soon as he saw the concept art [[spoiler: for his Cobra Commander look, with his reaction being "I'm going to wear THAT?!"]]

* CreatorBacklash: Creator/ChanningTatum has been ''extremely'' vocal with his dislike of the film.

* OldShame:
** [[http://www.contactmusic.com/news/sienna-miller-compromised-by-gi-joe_1206219 For]] Creator/SiennaMiller, at least. Given only three cast members out of a large ensemble returned for the sequel, it's a safe bet she's not alone in this.
** Channing Tatum hates the movie as well, and says the only reason he did it is because he would have been sued for breach of contract if he'd refused. (though Tatum admits he picked ''G.I. Joe'' because he was a fan of the franchise, which made him even more disappointed of the final product's quality)
** Creator/ChristopherEccleston [[http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-03-12/christopher-eccleston-says-doctor-who-exit-almost-destroyed-his-career/ revealed]] that he hated the film.
--->Working on something like ''GI Joe'' was horrendous. I just wanted to cut my throat every day.
* OnSetInjury: During an explosion-effects misfire, Creator/SiennaMiller's suit caught fire, igniting the area between her breasts.

** The original script had Snake Eyes taking a vow of silence until he got revenge on Storm Shadow. When Storm Shadow is seemingly killed in their final fight, Snake Eyes would sigh out "finally." Longtime ''Joe'' comic book writer Larry Hama warned the producers that the fans would loathe the entire movie just for that one moment and it was dropped.
*** This becomes HilariousInHindsight when fans complain about him talking in his [[Film/SnakeEyesGIJoeOrigins solo movie]], despite being an OriginStory.

* PragmaticAdaptation
** Cobra Commander was given a new look because of the fact that Sommers thought that giving him a hood (or even a ski mask) would make viewers think KKK member when they saw him. Nor would they justify a form-fitting, [[TheBlank featureless steel face-mask]], since they wanted [[spoiler: Creator/JosephGordonLevitt's face to be at least partly visible]].
** Similarly, GI Joe becoming an international task force was done due to Creator/{{Paramount}}/Sommers wanting a high overseas box office pull for the film and thinking an all-US team of soldiers would not sell tickets outside North America.
** Though, both of these plot elements (Cobra Commander's face-mask and GI Joe being an American military team) are brought back for the sequel, and the box office justified both decisions.

** For [[http://www.contactmusic.com/news/sienna-miller-compromised-by-gi-joe_1206219 Sienna Miller]], at least. Given only three cast members out of a large ensemble returned for the sequel, it's a safe bet she's not alone in this.

* ShoutOut: The Cobra [[CoolPlane Night Raven]] bears more than a passing resemblance to the titular plane from [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/Firefox Firefox]], including weapons that required "Thinking in Gaelic" to operate.

** Rapper Common was offered the role of Heavy Duty's cousin Roadblock, but film screenwriter, Stuart Beattie, chose Heavy Duty instead.

** Creator/DavidMurray was originally cast as Destro, but dropped it when he had problems with his visa and was replaced by Creator/ChristopherEccleston. However, Murray was able to film a flashback scene as the first Destro, James McCullen I.

** Creator/MarlonWayans auditioned for the role of Heavy Duty, but when it was taken by Creator/AdewaleAkinnuoyeAgbaje he was offered the role of Ripcord instead.

** Don Murphy was going to produce the film in 2003, but he made Transformers instead. Mitchell Amundsen was the cinematographer of both films.
** Sheldon Lettich was offered to write and direct a "G.I. Joe" movie for Warner Bros. in the early nineties. The project didn't happen for a number of reasons.

** Creator/DwayneJohnson was rumored to appear in the film as Shipwreck. He would later appear as Roadblock in the sequel [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/GIJoeRetaliation G.I. Joe: Retaliation]].

** Creator/Emma Roberts turned down the role of Scarlett.

** Creator/ChrisEvans, Creator/MatthewFox, Creator/MarkWahlberg and Creator/SamWorthington were considered for Duke.

* CreatorKiller: Stephen Sommers was already on thin ice thanks to the failure of Film/VanHelsing, but the negative reception to this film seemed to have done this to his career in the long run. He's only directed one film since and [[BoxOfficeBomb that made $1 million at the box office on a $27 million budget]].

-->Working on something like ''GI Joe'' was horrendous. I just wanted to cut my throat every day.

* ContractualObligationProject: Creator/ChanningTatum admitted that he was in the film as part of a three-picture deal and that he hated having to play Duke.

* FakeAmerican

* OldShame: For [[http://www.contactmusic.com/news/sienna-miller-compromised-by-gi-joe_1206219 Sienna Miller]], at least. Given only three cast members out of a large ensemble returned for the sequel, it's a safe bet she's not alone in this.

* FakeNationality: Given InterchangeableAsianCultures, the Japanese Storm Shadow is played by a Korean as an adult, and an American of Chinese descent as a teen.
** Certainly a case of AbilityOverAppearance, as Lee Byung-Hun was ''perfect'' in the role.

* CreatorKiller: Stephen Sommers was already on thin ice thanks to the failure of VanHelsing, but the negative reception to this film seemed to have done this to his career in the long run. He's only directed one film since and [[BoxOfficeBomb that made $1 million at the box office on a $27 million budget]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Rapper Common was offered the role of Heavy Duty's cousin Roadblock, but film screenwriter, Stuart Beattie, chose Heavy Duty instead.
* WordOfDante: Brendan Fraser has said he thinks of his character, Sgt. Stone, as the [[IdenticalGrandson descendant]] of [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy Rick O'Connell]].

* ContractualObligationProject: Creator/ChanningTatum admitted that he was in the film as part of a three-picture deal.

* RaceLift: Ripcord is white in the original series. Breaker was a white southerner in the original Marvel comic run. Heavy Duty was still black but from UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, not London.
* Creator/StanWinston: The effects team behind the accelerator suits.

* ActorAllusion:
** Creator/ArnoldVosloo as Zartan, a [[Film/TheMasterOfDisguise master]] of [[Film/DarkmanIITheReturnOfDurant disguise]]. Also after the attack on the Pit, Zartan strolling off wearing mid-eastern garb could easily be a callback to [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy another of his stand-out roles]].
** Also, [[spoiler: [[TheNthDoctor McCullen]] was "regenerated" into Destro]].
** It's worth noting that the BigBad goes by '[[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]]' [[spoiler:before being outed as Cobra Commander.]]
** Storm Shadow puts his swords together into a double-sided staff thing when fighting Snake Eyes at the end. Snake Eyes is played by Ray Park, who did Darth Maul, who was armed with a double-sided lightsabre staff.
* AuthorAppeal
** Stephen Sommers certainly seems to enjoy filming two women beating the stuffing out of each other...
** Stephen Sommers claimed that the MARS base was set underwater as a homage to his favorite film, ''Film/{{Thunderball}}''.
* AwesomeDearBoy: Joseph Gordon-Levitt signed on to the film as soon as he saw the concept art [[spoiler: for his Cobra Commander look, with his reaction being "I'm going to wear THAT?!"]]

* CreatorBacklash: Channing Tatum has been ''extremely'' vocal with his dislike of the film.

** Creator/ArnoldVosloo as Zartan, a [[Film/MasterOfDisguise master]] of [[Film/DarkmanIITheReturnOfDurant disguise]]. Also after the attack on the Pit, Zartan strolling off wearing mid-eastern garb could easily be a callback to [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy another of his stand-out roles]].

** Creator/ArnoldVoslooas Zartan, a [[Film/MasterOfDisguise master]] of [[Film/DarkmanIITheReturnOfDurant disguise]]. Also after the attack on the Pit, Zartan strolling off wearing mid-eastern garb could easily be a callback to [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy another of his stand-out roles]].

** Similarly, GI Joe becoming an international task force was done due to Creator/{{Paramount}}/Sommer wanting a high overseas box office pull for the film and thinking an all-US team of soldiers would not sell tickets outside North America.

** Arnold Vosloo as Zartan, a [[Film/MasterOfDisguise master]] of [[Film/DarkmanIITheReturnOfDurant disguise]]. Also after the attack on the Pit, Zartan strolling off wearing mid-eastern garb could easily be a callback to [[Film/TheMummyTrilogy another of his stand-out roles]].

* HeyItsThatGuy
** The director brought a buttload of ''[[Film/TheMummyTrilogy Mummy]]'' alumni with him. Besides Arnold "Imhotep" Vosloo as Zartan and an uncredited cameo by Creator/BrendanFraser as Sgt. Stone, there's a very short scene with lovable traitor Beni (Kevin J. O'Connor, who Sommers casts in every movie he's made since ''Film/DeepRising'') as evil scientist Dr. Mindbender.
** [[Film/ThePhantomMenace Darth Maul]] is Snake Eyes.
** [[Film/{{StarTrek}} Gaila]] is Scarlett. Nichols even has the same dye job.
** Marlon Wayans as the lead's BlackBestFriend. This isn't UnfortunateImplications, incidentally; [[TypeCasting he has the same role in every film he's in]]. Even alongside his own brother.
** [[Series/DoctorWho The Ninth Doctor]] is Destro. Exceptionally amusing since there's ''another'' character in the movie who's actually called ''the Doctor!'' And he's using NanoMachines... "Are you my mummy?"
** [[Series/{{Lost}} Mr. Eko]] is Heavy Duty.
** OMG, [[Music/{{Evita}} Colonel Perón]], alias [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Governor Swann]], a.k.a. [[Film/TomorrowNeverDies Elliot Carver]], is now U.S. President!
*** He would later [[RetroactiveRecognition relocate to King's Landing, convert to the Faith of the Seven]] and would become the [[Series/GameOfThrones High Sparrow]]
** Storm Shadow is [[Film/TheGoodtheBadtheWeird Park Chang-yi]], The Bad.
** Child Storm Shadow is the drug lord from ''Film/TropicThunder''!
*** And as a child Snake Eyes was [[KickinIt Leo Howard]]!

** If you watch South Korean movies, Lee Byung Hun from ''Film/TheGoodTheBadTheWeird'' and many other films plays Storm Shadow. (FYI, Lee was The Bad from the aforementioned movie.) He's also played in multiple KoreanSeries, including ''Series/{{Iris}}''. As a child, he's the drug lord from ''Film/TropicThunder''!

* MoneyDearBoy: Presumably why Creator/ChristopherEccleston decided to take part in this film, in addition to [[LargeHam just having]] [[HamAndCheese fun]].