Channing Tatum Hated The G.I. Joe Movie So Much, He Asked To Be Killed Off
One could hardly blame the big bosses at Paramount Studios for green-lighting a big screen "G.I. Joe" project. The film was, after all, based on a beloved collection of action figures that had already spawned a hit animated series in the 1980s. The nostalgia of that one-two punch all but guaranteed a certain return on investment. Given that the first "G.I. Joe" flick was hitting movie theaters when the "Yo Joe" obsessed '80s kids had kids of their own, box office success seemed all but guaranteed.
"G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" indeed delivered the goods when it hit theaters in 2009, delivering north of $300 million at the worldwide box office, doing so despite the fact that neither critics nor audiences were particularly impressed. Seems "Rise of Cobra" star Channing Tatum wasn't all that blown away when the film was released either. And the actor admitted during a recent Vanity Fair lie detector interview he was so disappointed by the experience, he actually asked to be killed off in the sequel, noting, "So, the second one, I obviously just didn't want to be in that one either."
When asked if he regretted that fateful request, Tatum flatly answered, "No," with the interview confirming he was not lying. And yes, those sentiments track with Tatum's past comments on his experiences with the "G.I. Joe" franchise, telling "The Howard Stern Show" in 2015, "Look, I'll be honest. I f*****g hate that movie. I hate that movie."
Tatum originally wanted to play a very different role in G.I. Joe
Given Channing Tatum's penchant for offering unfiltered opinions on the "G.I. Joe" big screen adaptations he himself starred in, one might rightfully pose question how exactly he ended up portraying Joe big boss Duke in the films. And it seems the answer to that question is that he really didn't want to appear in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" to begin with.
That nugget also came to light during his Vanity Fair lie detector session, with the actor openly admitting he tried very hard not to join the "G.I. Joe" franchise, stating, "The first one [Rise of Cobra] I passed on seven times." He'd go on to claim Paramount pretty much strong-armed him into playing Duke in the film, adding, "but they had an option on me and I had to do the movie."
Tatum later admitted he might've been more interested in the "G.I. Joe" franchise had the studio let him play the role he actually wanted, that of masked, katana-wielding ninja Snake Eyes. He made that particular claim during the 2015 Howard Stern interview, telling the host he even asked studio bosses to play that role, only to be told, "'No, you're not playing Snake Eyes, you're playing Duke.'" He'd go on to claim, "The script wasn't any good," before adding he was also wary of starring in the first film because he was a big "G.I. Joe" fan when he was a kid. Given Tatum's career track since his "G.I. Joe" franchise exit, it seems engineering his own on screen death was a savvy move to say the least.