Action Figure

First and foremost, G.I. Joe is a line of military-themed toys produced by the toy company Hasbro-that have been around since 1964...

And then....

I read of his exploits in a monthly comic book...

While, at the same time, watching his animated adventures every weekday after school, in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a syndicated TV series from the mid 80's...


Now, one of the most famous fictional military figures ever created is about to become a movie star...

Stax of IGN:

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed during this past weekend's press junket for his new film Shooter that the long-in-development, live-action movie version of G.I. Joe will be his next project after Transformers.

Di Bonaventura also informed IESB.net of the star he has in mind for the lead role of Duke, the Joes' second-in-command and leader in the field: none other than Shooter star Mark Wahlberg.

Wahlberg and di Bonaventura also teamed up for Four Brothers. The screenwriters of that film -- David Elliot and Paul Lovett -- have also penned a draft of the Joe script.

IESB later asked Wahlberg if he'd be willing to star in G.I. Joe and the Oscar nominee expressed interest.

"You know what, I'll do whatever Lorenzo wants me to do; it really depends on the script, obviously, but it's a cool idea. He says it's going to be kick ass, so yeah," Wahlberg said. "But he's already putting that out there, so who knows. He knows how to get me to say 'yes.'"

What a great idea! Wahlberg would make a great choice in this role. Talk about taking me back to my childhood...I hope the film is put on the fast track--with a strong script in hand.