Actor Marlon Wayans is known for his stand-up comedy and comedic roles in films such as White Chicks and the Scary Movie franchise. Though the actor has ventured into dramatic territory with films such as Requiem For A Dream he was mostly known for his comedic endeavors as he gained fame with his sitcom with brother Shawn Wayans, The Wayans Bros.
Wayans also starred in the 2009 action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The Stephen Sommers directorial was an adaptation of the popular comics of the same name and starred Channing Tatum and Wayans in lead roles. Due to Wayans’ reputation as a comic actor, fans were reportedly concerned that the film would not be a serious adaptation of the action comics.
Marlon Wayans Assured Fans That G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Was A Serious Action Film
Actor Marlon Wayans broke into the scene with his siblings on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. The show was known for introducing many noted comedians and actors such as Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey, as well as the Wayans siblings. Marlon Wayans then starred along with his brother Shawn Wayans in the sitcom The Wayans Bros. which ran for five seasons.
Wayans also gained notoriety for starring in the Scary Movie franchise. The horror parody films were noted for their hilarious spoofs on popular horror films of the decade and Wayans had a recurring role in the franchise. After he starred in films such as White Chicks and Little Man, Marlon Wayans established himself as a comedic actor.
However, this proved to be an issue for fans of the G.I. Joe franchise when Wayans was cast as Ripcord in the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The hate got so much that Marlon Wayans told MTV News that the film would not be a comedy like his previous ventures and would be faithful to the source material. He said,
“The movie is serious, action and some comedy – but not all comedy…It wasn’t about ‘Hey, let it be the ‘me comedy show’. It is G.I. Joe. It’s supposed to be badass action. So you commit to it – and I found the fun in being a badass, for once in my life.”
The film had already irked fans once when an initial script that was leaked online did not even contain Cobra as an organization. This prompted the makers to hire comic book writer Larry Hama to appear as a creative consultant.
Marlon Wayans Was Not A Fan Of The G.I. Joe Suits
The Marlon Wayans and Channing Tatum starrer G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a huge success at the box office, despite receiving mixed reviews. The film earned $302 million at the box office against a $175 million budget and also received a sequel in 2013, which starred Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis.
Marlon Wayans, however, did not return for G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Wayans had mentioned while promoting the first film that he was not a fan of some of the things he had to do while filming. He mentioned that he did not want to do his own stunts and requested director Stephen Sommers to get a stuntman for him in the sequel.
Wayans also revealed that he was not a fan of the metal suits that he had to wear in the film. He said to MTV News,
“They may look cool, but if hell were a suit, they would be the accelerator suit. They make you run 45-55 miles an hour [in the movie]. We are doing a high-speed chase, chasing down the Cobra bad guys. We are wearing those uniforms and shooting missiles [in the scene glimpsed in the trailer]. They are really cool but really uncomfortable.”
The actor returned to his trusted brand of comedies after the film, with films such as the Haunted House franchise. The sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation was considered to be better than the original, although the film also received negative reviews.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
