(*Disclaimer: @ILoveStargirl--I held out as long as I could!*)
Popular culture has a great number of fandoms within, and one of the largest, enough to rival even the Trekkies, is the G.I. Joe fandom, devotees of the first action figure ever invented (and a Hasbro brand that celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2014). Joe truly became a juggernaut in the 1980's, when it was relaunched as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, giving us a wide variety of characters and vehicles and a formidable group of bad guys in the form of the Cobra organization (or Cobra Command, or just Cobra, if you prefer). The toys were supported by almost every form of media tie-in you can think of: comic books (from Marvel, Devil's Due, and currently IDW), video games, movies, and of course, television animation.
Lately though, Joe's star has dulled a bit. The national mood may have something to do with it, and Hasbro's marketing team is having a tough time selling people on toy soldiers. It could be that the performance of the two live-action films factored into this (despite a third film being in the works). Point is, G.I. Joe's popularity isn't what it once was; still, the fanbase is quite lively. A significant portion of G.I. Joe fandom is comprised of customizers--folks who use parts from various figures or vehicles to build their own, no matter what style of sculpting (be it the 80's ARAH, 2000's New Sculpt Era, or the current Modern Era) they may be. Being a longtime observer of this community (since about 2005), I've seen my fair share of great custom figures, most on the chief site for all things G.I. Joe customs, Joecustoms.com. Yet, never have I seen a most ambitious and well-received custom project than the brainchild of a group of customizers collectively known as Phoenix Customs.
On their own, chief customizers [I'll be going by their usernames] Oreobuilder, Bucky, and Dusty79 are pretty talented customizers; together, with a small group of collaborators, including one actually involved with the Joe line way back when, they created a number of inspired and exciting projects built around a central theme. My favorite of their efforts comes in the form of a true love letter to the Joe line:
Their goal with this project was simple:
"We wanted to create a rebooted version of GI Joe our own way using most of the elements that have made us fans.
New characters mixed with old favorites
Military feel with some sci-fi/fantasy elements
A variety of cool vehicles
A strong sense of nostalgia
Since we don’t know what, if anything, Hasbro has planned for our favorite brand. Bucky, Dusty79 and myself decided to show off our view of what GI Joe could be. We were helped along the way by many others: Patrick ‘’Notpicard’’ Stewart, Justin ‘’General Hawk’’ Bell, Mayor, GITrekker and, of course, Kirk Bozigian. This project would not have been possible without their help, time, effort and input. Thanks guys!"
http://oreobuildersblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/gi-joe-resurgence-day-31-catalogs-and.html
All that was for part 1 in 2014. The goal remained unchanged for part 2 in 2015:
"We wanted to capture the lighting in a bottle that the original line had, with unique looking characters, a fun storyline and different personalities for each of them. The idea was to mimic an 80's toy line release, with multiple specialties and new figures.
We approached part II with the following goals:
- To create new characters
- Expand the role of a few key characters from part 1
- To bring back some old favorites
- Keep a GI Joe style military feel with some sci-fi/fantasy elements
- Create a variety of cool vehicles
- Recreate a strong sense of nostalgia by structuring our creations and project as if they were an actual product line.
Why a Netflix series? Prime example--
Voltron: Legendary Defender. Look at what they managed to do with a classic, beloved 80's property. Think of what could be done with this. Here's how I envision an animated series adaptation of this fan-made G.I. Joe relaunch:
1. The show would be a continuation of the continuity established by the following earlier animated incarnations: the original TV series (1983-87, plus '87's
G.I. Joe: The Movie); the DIC-produced sequel series (1989-92); the 1994 one-shot animated video special
Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles: Old Soldiers Never Die; and finally,
G.I. Joe Extreme (1995-97). Despite the wildly varying tones of each (from campy to outright silly to a blend of both)....
2. The series' tone would be on the level with the likes of the following shows:
Young Justice,
The Spectacular Spider-Man/Wolverine and the X-Men/The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Transformers: Prime, the aforementioned
Legendary Defender, the 2011
Thundercats reboot, and the last Joe show that aired,
G.I. Joe: Renegades. And there's one thing that will effectively rectify those more sillier elements, but more on that later.
3. The art style/character designs I would like to see done by a combination of the same folks behind
Ben 10: Alien Force and Generator Rex.
4. I would include a few nods to the Marvel Comics and their IDW continuation, and even have Larry Hama himself contribute to a script or two.
5. Ahead of its premiere, a five-part micro-series (a la
Earth's Mightiest Heroes) would air on the Web, detailing the circumstances leading up to episode 1 (based on the story found in the first link under the season 1 summary).
6. Unlike past shows, I want newer characters working alongside previously-introduced ones each season, instead of them getting shuffled off to the side (the DIC cartoon was notorious for this).
7. With respect to Phoenix Customs, I added a few small elements myself to their story and concept. If any of you are seeing this, I hope you won't be offended. They just came to me, just like that.
*On that note--DISCLAIMER: all new characters introduced in this series (and the overall story itself) are credited to the fine folks of Phoenix Customs and their collaborators, inspired by concepts owned by Hasbro.*
And now, the big one--my voice cast for the new (and returning) faces of G.I. Joe and Cobra. A few notes about my choice of voice talent:
-Borrowing the approach of the DCAU and MAU (and their modern-day successors), I used a combination of voice actors and character actors. I also tried to use mostly actors who are new to the G.I. Joe franchise.
-Eagle-eyed viewers of today's comic book-themed TV may notice a few very familiar faces among the cast. Just as Greg Weisman somehow manages to bring in members of the cast of
Star Trek: The Next Generation into each show he works on, I brought in actors who represent some of the most popular comic-based TV shows on today. You'll see why.
-For the older characters, I of course mostly went with their original VA's, and made a few substitutions here and there, which I'll elaborate on.
-Finally, I wanted to use VA's that I happen to meet in real life, on the convention circuit.
Let us begin.....
Season One
It is the year 2014. Following years of relative peace, the ruthless terrorist organization known as Cobra has resurfaced by staging several bold attacks on high profile targets all over the World. Returning to active duty, General Hawk enlists the help of his most trusted acolytes – Duke, Beachhead, Stalker and others. Together, they recruit a new group of soldiers and rebuild the World’s ultimate special operations unit: GI Joe.
Coming in 2014, GI Joe: Resurgence brings back famous GI Joe members from all eras and introduces many new faces to the team. It also marks the return of Cobra Commander and his army of evil henchmen bent on World domination!
#G.I. Joe Team
+Returning Veterans (Season 1)
-David Kaye as the voice of General Hawk/Clayton Abernathy
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/david-kaye/
Kaye took over for Hawk's original VA, the late Ed Gilbert, in the second season of the DIC cartoon series. He also voiced the character in the
Old Soldiers Never Die one-shot, as well as being the narrator for
G.I. Joe: Renegades (along with voicing Scarlett's father Patrick O'Hara). Having met the guy himself, I know Kaye would be a great fit for the general.
-Michael Bell as the voice of Duke/Conrad Hauser
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Michael-Bell/
Having also met, and holding great respect, for a voiceover veteran like Bell, I know this wouldn't be much of a party without him. This series would also mark a departure from past portrayals of Duke, in that the now mostly-retired field leader of the Joes would now be advising the new blood from behind the scenes.
-Kimberly Brooks as the voice of Evac/Carla Greer
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Kimberly-brooks/
*Note: Pictured is an actual figure, not a custom.*
There's a perfectly good reason why I renamed her Evac instead of Doc (other than the longtime practice of Hasbro sharing names between Joe and Transformers), which you'll see as we go down further. As for casting Brooks, she's got a good filmography and her most recent vocal performance--as Allura in
Legendary Defender--makes her a prime candidate to voice this second-generation Joe medic.
-Tom Kenny as the voice of Beachhead/Wayne Sneeden
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tom-kenny/
When looking into possible voices for Beachhead, I wanted to go with someone who'd be a decent fill-in for the late William Callaway, and Kenny turned out to be it. It was hearing his voice for the character Hannibal Roy Bean (from
Xiaolin Showdown) that sealed the deal, as I played two clips--one of Beachhead in the '87 film, one of Bean--to verify.
-Rob Paulsen as the voice of Skidmark/Cyril Colombani
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Rob-Paulsen/
Another of my favorites in the biz (and whom I've met), Paulsen's also a veteran of the old show, having voiced the Joes Tripwire and Snow Job. I felt that he could nail Skidmark's annoyingly polite attitude easily.
Additional Voices
-Neil Ross as the voice of Shipwreck/Hector Delgado (another reprisal of his)
*For the cases of Hawk, Lifeline, and Beachhead, I looked for voice actors who would be good enough to follow (or even mimic the takes of) original actors Ed Gilbert, Stan Wojno, and Bill Callaway, respectively.
+New Recruits (Season 1)
-Will Friedle as the voice of Groundpounder/Richard Berkowitz, Tracer/Edward Lane
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/will-friedle/
Friedle was an absolute must for me, as he gets to check off both Transformer and Joe boxes in his filmography. For Groundpounder, I pictured something akin to his Terry McGinnis; for Tracer, I pictured more along the lines of his Ron Stoppable.
-Matthew Mercer as the voice of Splashdown/Kenneth Grissom
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Matthew-Mercer/
With Mercer, who better to play an astronaut blasting off from Cape Kennedy, Florida than an actual Floridian? Plus, he joins up with his fellow
Thundercats alum Friedle. (*Note: pictured below his season 1 look is his season 3 look.*)
-Scott Menville as the voice of Eagle Eye/Asa Barker
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Scott-Menville/
*First pic is Season 1 look, bottom pic is Season 2 look.*
Going off of his performance as Robin in the original
Teen Titans cartoon, Menville is perfect for voicing this up-and-comer in the Joes' new blood. Also, unlike his prior role as Vince Hauser in
Renegades, this time he'd voice an actual Joe.
-Yuri Lowenthal as the voice of Deep Freeze/C.F. Kelvin
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/yuri-lowenthal/
Going off the characterization in the filecard, I think Lowenthal could make Deep Freeze work, as he's definitely played a lot of upbeat and friendly characters.
-Eric Lopez as the voice of Sun Devil/Diego Alvarez
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Eric-Lopez/
Something tells me I'll get kudos from any alumni of Arizona State on this site, but thank Phoenix Customs. Anyway, I thought Lopez would be a decent voice for Sun Devil based on two videogames in his filmograpy:
Killzone 3 and
Gears of War 4.
-Matt Lanter (
Timeless) as the voice of Landslide/Erik McKie
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Matt-Lanter/
I've taken a liking to
Timeless, and it's also the first time I've seen Lanter act in a live-action production. (Like many, I was mostly familiar with his voice work on
Star Wars: The Clone Wars and
Ultimate Spider-Man.) Since he plays a soldier on
Timeless, casting him as a Joe was a no-brainer.
-Liam O'Brien as the voice of Breacher/Gregory Parker, Broadside/Lewis Young
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Liam-OBrien/
O'Brien's prior experience with Joe was also on
Renegades, where he voiced a version of the Joe Team's Oktober Guard ally Red Star. Here though, I felt he'd have an interesting go with Broadside's character arc (more on that later), and have fun with Breacher's attitude when it comes to his job as a hostage negotiator.
-John DiMaggio as the voice of Bulkhead/Galen O'Malley
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/John-DiMaggio/
DiMaggio was my immediate choice for Bulkhead. By now, we've heard DiMaggio's voice in a lot of productions, and of course fans of
Samurai Jack know his voice for the Scotsman. So why not take it to another end of the U.K. and see what he can do as an 'Irish' SEAL?
-Bumper Robinson as the voice of Wall Cloud/Gary Jordan
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Bumper-Robinson/
With picking Robinson, I was inspired by his portrayal of another fictional serviceman, Jim Rhodes/War Machine on
Earth's Mightiest Heroes. (They even have a similar color palette on their suits.)
-Freddy Rodriguez as the voice of Tango (with Dee Baker providing Tygg's sounds)
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Freddy-Rodriguez/
This is a character I felt Rodriguez would have a bit of fun with, playing up the guy's quick assimilation of US culture. For longtime readers of the Joe comics, this would be the animation debut of the Tucaros tribe.
-Lacey Chabert as the voice of First Aid/Veronica Marsh
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Lacey-Chabert/
Like DiMaggio was to Bulkhead, Chabert was an immediate pick for me to cast as First Aid. Of all the characters she's played, I don't believe I've seen her try a medic. Also, for those who picked up on her filecard's details, you'll see that the folks at Phoenix Customs know their pop culture very well, a trend that'll be present throughout these characters.
-Michael Rosenbaum as the voice of Throttle/*File card unavailable*
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Michael-Rosenbaum/
Throttle is the driver of the Mk II LCV Recon Sled. Unfortunately, according to Oreobuilder, it appears that his filecard was misplaced. What I can tell you is that I felt Rosenbaum would do well as another character built for speed.
-R. Lee Ermey as the voice of General Warhorse/Patton S. George
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/R-Lee-Ermey/
Honestly, who better to play a thinley-veiled pastiche of one of our country's best military commanders than one of the more famous former servicemen-turned-actors around? Ermey was my #1 choice for this character.
-Kyle Hebert as the voice of Tailspin/John C. White, Riptide/Gabriel Hogan
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Kyle-Hebert
Hebert is a name you'll probably be familiar with from many an anime dub, with few US-based productions in his filmography (one of which being
Earth's Mightiest Heroes). In bringing him on as these two characters, I thought it'd be interesting to see how he'd portray one guy who spends most of his time up in the air vs. the other mostly on the water.
+Allies of the Joe Team (Season 1)
-Sab Shimono as the voice of the Iron Master
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Sab-Shimono/
Shimono is a veteran actor who I know could do no wrong with this character, especially with this little detail I'm adding (hope it's okay, Oreobuilder): the character's day job is as Kenjiro Onihashi (a name derived from the
Snake Eyes: Declassified comic miniseries), a professor of metallurgy, engineering and physics at a prestigious university in Kyoto.
#Cobra
+Returning Faces (Season 1)
-Hank Azaria as the voice of Cobra Commander
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/hank-azaria/
THERE--Right THERE in the filecard of season 3 CC. THAT RIGHT THERE is what impressed me the most, it is the PERFECT retcon of both the Sunbow and DIC cartoons' more 'sillier' elements. I'm betting that those of you who grew up with those shows just got your views of them turned on their head. As for the actor playing him, I've said it before, but Azaria is the best successor to the late, great Chris Latta. Latta originally voiced Moe on
The Simpsons before Azaria took over, and in the 2006 episode of
Family Guy titled "PTV", Azaria voiced Cobra Commander (in a joke that had him as head of the FCC). Given a less-jokey script, I bet Azaria would make his take on Cobra's sinister leader absolutely unforgettable.
A bit of commentary from one of the collaborators on Resurgence Part 3, username shirleydoe: "Why would anyone follow such a buffoon? Simple. The real story is so frightening, the governments of the world work day and night to cover up the horrible truth."
-Gregg Berger as the voice of Firefly
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gregg-Berger/
Of course it was essential to have Berger back as the Cobra saboteur (him having played the character originally), but in a show like this, we have a chance to see what he could really do with Firefly.
+New Faces (Season 1)
-Dee Baker as the voice of Stink Bug
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Dee-Bradley-Baker/
Baker is one of the most talented VA's in the industry--you may have heard him in tons of films, TV shows and video games that you couldn't even tell it was him most of the time. With his range, I'm certain he could come up with something unique for Stink Bug.
-Steve Blum as the voice of Glitch
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Steve-Blum/
Blum is another VA with an equally impressive range--he wasn't named a 2012 Guiness World Record holder for nothing. He could come up with a very unique voice for Glitch, especially as the character evolves. I personally was thinking something along the lines of 'Steve Buscemi meets HAL-9000'.
-Daran Norris as the voice of Scavenger
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Daran-Norris/
With Norris, for all the comedic roles you may have heard him lend his voice to, he's done his fair share of bad guys as well. I saw a bit of his Durge from the Tartakovsky
Clone Wars cartoon as an influence in this casting. Have him do it with a German accent, and it brings to mind the Cobra equivalent of the Red Baron.
-Eric Bauza as the voice of Sea Bastion
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/eric-bauza/
Going off of the characterization in the filecard, and compared with some of the nutty characters Bauza's lent his voice to, this should be no problem for him. And if they developed the connection with Shipwreck that's hinted at, that could make for a pretty good performance alongside Neil Ross.
#Iron Grenadiers
+Season 1
-Maurice LaMarche as the voice of Destro/James McCullen
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/maurice-lamarche/
(*Note: this custom figure debuted in Resurgence Part 2.*)
Of the two classic-era voices for Destro, I actually prefer LaMarche's over Arthur Burghardt, since he added more of a Scottish tint that further indicated Destro's origins. Given that he voiced Destro in the DIC cartoon, here he'd get a chance to play a more nuanced version of the metal-faced arms dealer.
-Colleen O'Shaughnessey as the voice of Whisp
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Colleen-OShaughnessey/
Going off her filmography, there's one type of character you don't see enough of--the silent, mysterious, deadly assassin-type. I think it'd be an interesting change of pace for her. Her voicing Black Orchid in the
Justice League Dark animated film (from what clips I've seen of it) is a good start.
#Dreadnoks
+Season 1
-Rose McIver (
Izombie) as the voice of Zanya/Zelda Sanderson
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0570860/?ref_=nv_sr_1
(*Note: pictured is an actual official figure and not a custom.*)
While I don't watch
Izombie, I felt I should throw some fans a bone here by casting McIver as a prominent character. As to said character's inclusion here, of all the Dreadnoks Phoenix Customs made for Resurgence, there was, I felt, a lack of a leader figure for them. I know Zartan's been hinted at in the filecards they made, but for this case, I wanted to include Zanya as a way to throw a bone to the Devil's Due comics. So for the sake of storytelling, let's just say that Zanya here is running the chapter of the Dreadnoks that are part of this cast at her father's behest, a way to groom her for one day taking over the whole gang. It'd be an interesting role for McIver, in my opinion. The name Zelda Sanderson is of my own idea--in the Devil's Due
Dreadnoks: Declassified miniseries, the Sanderson name comes from one of Zartan's aliases that he used early on in his 'career'. Zelda is a nod to how Zartan's siblings Zandar and Zarana's real names are, respectively, Zachary and Zoe.
-John DiMaggio as the voice of Riff-Raff/Larry Scheimer
DiMaggio also came to mind with this character in particular. I felt that he'd come up with a zany enough voice and characterization with a wannabe inventor like Riff-Raff, and make him equal parts comic relief and dangerous adversary for the Joes.
Season Two
Following the disastrous events of Operation Waterfront where several Joes were taken prisoner by Cobra, General Hawk has tasked Chuckles to put together a team to locate and rescue his men. Meanwhile, a new group of GI Joe recruits are tasked with finding out what Cobra’s new plan is. Little do they know that both missions will lead them to Gold Springs, a nice little town in the desert…
http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-joe-fan-fiction/407707-g-i-joe-resurgence-issue-2-operation-desert-swarm.html
#G.I. Joe Team
+Returning Veterans (Season 2)
-Season 2 marks the return of one of the more famous members of the Joe team, though nowadays he goes by...
*shirleydoe commentary: "I wanted to write the ultimate Snake Eyes file card (next to Larry Hama’s cards). Plus, I wanted to bring the Arashikage techniques from GI Joe: Resolute into the main line. I’m obsessed with Zen koans, so this one is real, as well as juxtaposition. I see the older Snake Eyes as more of a trickster and more open to humor as he walks the path toward enlightenment. He’s incredibly deadly, but can also be an amazing friend. He’s the best and worst of things all at once – learning how to be a better human on the warrior’s path. Obviously, I’m also super influenced by how Tom Scioli saw the Arishikage in [IDW's] Transformers vs. GI Joe."
-Mr. T as the voice of Roadblock/Marvin Hinton
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Mr-T/
Filling in for original VA Kene Holliday, just think, how cool would it be to hear Mr. T as the Joe Team's resident badass heavy gunner? The ARAH incarnation of G.I. Joe is such a staple of the 80's, it makes sense to have a Joe voiced by another 80's icon.
-Rino Romano as the voice of Switch Gears/Jerome Jivoin
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Rino-Romano/
Switch Gears represents the wave of new Joes introduced during the New Sculpt Era (2002-06), so it's nice to see him make an appearance here. Romano does good voices with Spanish characters, so a he'd do fine with this Colombian tanker.
-Denny Delk as the voice of Chuckles/Phillip Provost
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Denny-Delk/
Delk is a voice you've heard more in video games than TV animation. Of his cartoon credits, the ones that really work in his favor for this show are the two characters he played in the 1987 series
Spiral Zone: General McFarland and Reaper. With Chuckles, I think Delk would do a fine job voicing him, since his McFarland voice would be a great fit for a character who, despite the trademark Hawaiian shirt, looks like he's been around CIA HQ in Langley for a long time.
-Ernie Hudson as the voice of Doc/Carl Greer
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/ernie-hudson/
Told ya there was a reason I gave Carla Greer the codename Evac. Having Hudson voice the character was inspired by, believe it or not,
Ghostbusters. Specifically, the well-remembered cartoon spinoff
The Real Ghostbusters, where in the later seasons Hudson's character Winston Zeddemore was voiced by Buster Jones, who voiced Doc in the original G.I. Joe cartoon. Jones passed away a couple of years back, so I see this as a way for Hudson to honor the guy who took on one of his most famous film characters.
+New Recruits (Season 2)
-Dominic Purcell (
Legends of Tomorrow) as the voice of Strong Arm/Vince Bollea (alternate choices: Diedrich Bader, Adam Baldwin)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0700712/?ref_=nv_sr_1
In picking Purcell (who I had no idea was British, believe it or not), I was inspired by the tough guy voice he uses as Heatwave on
Legends. He looks and sounds like a former fighter, which is perfect for voicing Strong Arm, whom creator Bucky mentions did have a bit of Brock Lesnar influence in his design. Purcell would definitely own it as the Joes' new drill instructor.
-Jason Spisak as the voice of Landmine/Brad Tanner (with Dee Baker providing Sniffer's sounds)
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jason-Spisak/
I felt that Spisak had the right voice for a guy who loves animals as much as he does a good adrenaline rush, a good balance of friendly and very outgoing.
-Tara Strong as the voice of Treads/Mary-Beth Barton
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Tara-Strong/
I knew I wanted to use Tara Strong somewhere, and then just started picturing her using a good Southern accent--almost like what you'd hear from the X-Men's Rogue--while playing Treads. It just clicked right there. (And hey, whaddya know--both characters are Mississippi-born-and-raised.)
-Peter Cullen as the voice of High Noon/Wyatt McCarty (with Dee Baker providing Ringo's sounds)
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Peter-Cullen/
Of course most fans hold Cullen in high regard--many grew up with him as the voice of, among other memorable characters, Optimus Prime. In interviews, I remember him stating that part of Prime's vocals were influenced by John Wayne, and he's used similar voices to that effect in other characters. All the more reason to bring him on as the Joe team's newest cowboy (I mean hey, Wild Bill can't have all the fun now, can he?) Cullen's also a veteran of the original series, having voiced Airborne (the Joes' helicopter assault trooper), Zandar (Zartan's brother), and Nemesis Enforcer (in
G.I. Joe: The Movie).
-Iain De Caestecker (
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD) as the voice of Prodigy/Joseph McCullen
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0207691/?ref_=nv_sr_2
In casting Prodigy, I wanted to give De Caestecker a character who, while of similar intellect and drive as Fitz, was the total opposite, personality-wise: an arrogant frat boy with an inventive streak who occasionally needs to be taken down a peg. And of course, being a definite Scotsman helps.
-Matthew Mercer as the voice of Mongoose/Franco Agusta
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Matthew-Mercer/
Mercer could easily slip into an Italian accent to give us a good take on this photogenic whirly-bird-flyer. I think he'd have fun with the ladies' man aspect of the character too.
-Crispin Freeman as the voice of Overboard/Warren Nash
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/crispin-freeman/
Reading a bio like that, I would think Freeman might like the prospects in bringing Overboard to life. It's a bit different from a lot of the characters he's voiced, which is definitely a good thing for most actors.
+Allies of the Joe Team (Season 2)
1. Miguel Sandoval as the voice of Grease Monkey/Manuel Grass
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Miguel-Sandoval/
The most I've heard Sandoval's voice was as El Toro Fuerte on
Jackie Chan Adventures, but I felt that he would do fine enough as the man behind the first place of work for future G.I. Joe driver Clutch. The characterization and backstory of Grease Monkey certainly helps.
2. The S.W.A.R.M. Hunters
If some of you find these designs a bit familiar, maybe this will confirm your suspicions--Phoenix Customs based these guys off of a little-known late-80's toyline called
Starcom: The U.S. Space Force. (I mean hey, in 2008 during the 25th Anniversary toyline, Hasbro brought Matt Trakker from
M.A.S.K. into the G.I. Joe mythos.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starcom:_The_U.S._Space_Force
-Rob Paulsen as the voice of Lt. Cmdr. Vic "Dakota" Hayes
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Rob-Paulsen/
Paulsen's no stranger to lending his voice to cartoons based on short-lived toylines (
Dino-Riders, anyone?), so he'd be a decent fit for Dakota.
-Kevin Conroy as the voice of Col. James "Dash" Derringer
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Kevin-Conroy/
We all know who Conroy's signature character is, but I'm of the belief that one role shouldn't define an actor for most of their career. Just look at what happened to Adam West for a time. So I say let an actor do a variety of characters. This won't be the only time I'll use Conroy for a character in a Hasbro-based series--he'll be part of the cast for a Transformers project I have in the pipeline...
3. The Steel Brigade
-Corey Burton as the voice of Peacemaker/Harvey Le Sioux
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/corey-burton/
Given Burton's long career in the biz (which included his role as Tomax of the Crimson Twins in the original Joe cartoon), it shouldn't be hard for him to slip into a French-Canadian accent for Peacemaker.
-Josh Keaton as the voice of Buffer Zone/Walter Wynn
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Josh-Keaton/
With the skillset and attitude described in Buffer Zone's filecard, I think Keaton would be great playing this young stoic. Some of his other characters (including, most recently, Shiro on
Legendary Defender) have fit the bill.
-Arif S. Kinchen as the voice of Riot/'Trix' Jackson
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/arif-s-kinchen/
This is a character I can definitely see Kinchen having a blast with--think about it, a crowd-control trooper who uses gags and novelty items to bring mobs under control? Who wouldn't find that a fun role?
#Cobra
+New Faces (Season 2)
-James Sie as the voice of Kobura Kai
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/James-Sie/
Sie has played his fair share of pretty fierce and deadly characters, but this would be different enough thanks to the filecard's characterization. I could picture something akin to the voice he used for the masked Yakuza boss from the Silver Samurai-centric episode of
Wolverine and the X-Men.
-Tom Kenny as the voice of Nega-Watt
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tom-kenny/
Kenny's a versatile enough voice actor that he'd be easily able to nail the arrogant super-nerd aspect of Nega-Watt's character. I was thinking along the lines of his Starscream from
Transformers: Animated.
-Travis Willingham as the voice of Bone S.A.W.
Willingham has a great voice for strong tough guys who could come down on either side of a conflict, and Bone S.A.W. would be a good character in that tradition.
#Dreadnoks
+Season 2
-Tom Kenny as the voice of Meathead/Ted Bhust
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tom-kenny/
Kenny also has a great knack for voices befitting big, dumb lugs, or big mean lugs, or big, dumb, mean lugs. (A good example would be Cliff of the Greaser Dogs from
CatDog.) He'd do wonders with this band of Dreadnoks' resident big dumb mean lug.
-Tara Strong as the voice of Neat Freak/Mary Mayde
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Tara-Strong/
Strong I felt would have a field day with this character. It's not every day you play a character with almost serious OCD--unless you're Jim Parsons on
The Big Bang Theory.
Season Three
A)
Prologue: Special Mission Brazil (*Note: A homage to the 1986 Toys R' Us-exclusive figure set of the same name.*)
COBRA COMMANDER has hidden the plans to his ultimate weapon in a secret COBRA Temple deep in the Amazon Rainforest. GENERAL HAWK has deployed a GI JOE strike team to investigate and retrieve the secret data.
Meanwhile, DESTRO’s forces are on the move! DARKLON and his detachment of IRON GRENADIERS attack Cobra’s temple hidden deep inside the rainforest to steal secret data files and discover COBRA COMMANDER’s ultimate plan!
#Iron Grenadiers
+Season 3
-Alistair Duncan as the voice of Darklon
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/alastair-duncan/
Another Scotsman was needed for another member of Clan McCullen, and for me, Duncan fit the bill the best, especially if he's portraying the more laid-back masked member of Destro's family.
COBRA’s secret temple is under attack by GI JOE. COBRA COMMANDER has dispatched his most ruthless mercenaries to defend the temple and repel the GI JOE team’s assault.
-Neil Kaplan as the voice of Overlord
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Neil-Kaplan/
When looking for someone to voice one of Cobra's top field leaders, I thought of Kaplan and his current portrayal of Zarkon on
Legendary Defender, and how well it works for a ruthless, cutthroat individual like Overlord.
-Mark Hamill as the voice of the Interrogator
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Mark-Hamill/
If there was anyone more perfect to voice the Interrogator, Hamill is it. It's basically the Joker without a sense of humor. I could see him channel some of his performance as one of the Haydonites from
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.
-Michael Bell as the voice of Scrap-Iron
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Michael-Bell/
This would be the second character that Bell would reprise, having also voiced him in the original cartoon.
B. Full Season
COBRA COMMANDER has hatched the ultimate plan--Project: Artemis. Cobra is building a weapon on the Moon capable of hitting any target on Earth. To implement their evil plan, Cobra circles the globe to harvest fuel and launch rockets from their hidden bases. Now the GI Joe team must scramble its forces around the World to stop them. Will GI Joe succeed?
1. Swamp Skirmish--Cobra has built a hidden launch base in the swamps and has enlisted the Dreadnoks to defend it. But GI Joe deploys its best swamp fighters to take on the Dreadnoks and stop Cobra's evil plan!
#G.I. Joe Team Returning Veterans and New Recruits
-Mike Farrell as the voice of Footloose/Andrew Meyers
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0268286/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Given that Footloose is portrayed as one of the most laid-back Joes, who better to voice him than the man behind one of the army's most laid-back medics, Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt himself,
M*A*S*H veteran Mike Farrell? Filling in for original VA Will Ryan, many here may know his voice as Jonathan 'Pa' Kent in the DC Animated Universe.
*shirleydoe commentary: "Once I came up with Footloose as Lebowski, the card wrote itself."
-Benjamin Diskin as the voice of Swamp Fox/Marley Douglas
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Benjamin-Diskin/
Of all the characters I've heard Diskin voice, I've never heard him do one with a Southern accent, so Swamp Fox would be a first.
*shirleydoe commentary: "He was based on an existing file card that Bucky did."
-Marc Worden as the voice of Underbrush/Elliot Bradshaw
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Marc-Worden/
The only soldier I've ever heard Worden voice was Lt. Matthew Shrieve (leader of the Creature Commandos) on
Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Still, he should be more than capable for playing a soldier whose main skill is not being seen.
*shirleydoe commentary: "I loved the concept of someone living in a dense population center and dreaming of being concealed in the swamp or a jungle. His real name is the first name in the Monty Python sketch “How to Avoid Being Seen” – “In this film we hope to show how not to be seen. This is Mr. E.R. Bradshaw of Napier Court, Black Lion Road London SE5. He cannot be seen. Now I am going to ask him to stand up. Mr. Bradshaw will you stand up please?” Underbrush would be smart enough to not stand up."
-Greg Cipes as the voice of Pigsty/T.W. Teece
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Greg-Cipes/
Same reasoning as my casting Ben Diskin as Swamp Fox, but with the added plus that Cipes might enjoy playing the equivalent of
Peanuts' Pigpen in the army.
*shirleydoe commentary: "GI Trekker already had started him and I just added a little spice. Or more mud." [GI Trekker originated the character as an early custom of his years and years ago.]
#Cobra Returning Faces
-Fred Tatasciore as the voice of Croc Master
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Fred-Tatasciore/
Tatasciore has a wide variety of intimidating, bigger-than-life voices in his repertoire. I especially was influenced by his take on Batman foe Killer Croc when it came to Croc Master.
*shirleydoe commentary: "We went back and forth between amphibian and reptilian in the wording."
-John DiMaggio as the voice of Kangor/Leo Selvagem
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/John-DiMaggio/
As evidenced by his Captain Boomerang in
Batman: The Brave and the Bold, DiMaggio has a decent Aussie accent that would work for this Cobra bruiser from Down Under.
*shirleydoe commentary: "His original figure specialty was “Lutador Selvagem,” or Savage Fighter, which led to his real name being Leo Selvagem. Eaglehawk Neck, Australia was a great name and also where most convicts tried to escape the country when it was a penal colony. Plus, I wanted to set up a rivalry between Kangor and Big Boa, as they originally were the same sculpt."
#Dreadnoks
-Bob Joles as the voice of Mojo Rysing
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Bob-Joles/
I imagine Joles would be VERY creative in how he'd come up with a voice for this very, very intimidating veteran member of the Dreadnoks. If Zartan (and by extent, Zanya) truly fear this guy, you'd KNOW he'd probably sound like he meant business.
*shirleydoe commentary: "The 8th Military Information Support Group is the real psyop division. I also wanted to show my theory of how the Dreadnoks' hierarchy works – literal constant survival of the fittest."
-Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as the voice of Pin-Up/Bella Lee Angel
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Mary-Elizabeth-McGlynn/
McGlynn's voiced a lot of tough women in her career, and Pin-Up would be just the latest, but also a unique character in her own right. (Plus, I've wondered what she'd sound like with a Jersey accent...)
2.
Arctic Assault--After their skirmish in the swamps, GI Joe launches their assault on a secret Cobra compound buried in the Arctic ice. All new GI Joe team members take to the battlefield to neutralize Cobra's Arctic outpost!
#G.I. Joe New Recruits
-Roger Craig Smith as the voice of Hailstorm/Robert Reed
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Roger-Craig-Smith/
Smith is a versatile enough VA, and for the case of Hailstorm here, I'd say, based on the enthusiastic personality present in his bio, that Smith would do well to utilize a bit of his Forge from
Wolverine and the X-Men.
*shirleydoe commentary: "All real bases and training, as per how Hama worked. I liked the idea that Hailstorm has been a soldier since he was a little kid."
-Lex Lang as the voice of Traverse/Burton Knox
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Lex-Lang/
Hmm, loud and borderline obnoxious, you say? Sounds to me a lot like Lang's character Sanosuke Sagarra from the U.S. dub of
Ruroni Kenshin--works for me!
*shirleydoe commentary: "Why does GI Joe need a snowboarder? I asked myself that and then figured, well, if he actually had all of this training, Cobra might take him lightly when he’s one of the best trained, best equipped soldiers the Joes have. Again – I did a lot of research into what the toughest Arctic training would be."
3.
Ocean Abyss--Cobra is extracting Helium-3--the fuel for its super-weapon--from the bottom of the ocean floor. GI Joe deploys its naval strike force to destroy the mining station. But Cobra is waiting to spring their trap!
#G.I. Joe Returning Veterans and New Recruits
-Gregg Berger as the voice of Cutter/Skip Stone
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gregg-Berger/
This makes the second character reprisal for Berger, as he also voiced him in the original series.
*shirleydoe commentary: "Larry Hama also taught me geography. I’ve known for years that Kinsley, Kansas is the center of the US. I didn’t change much at all on Cutter, his original card is perfect."
-David Faustino as the voice of Barracuda/Mark Duffy
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/David-Faustino/
Faustino's recently come off a good run in an action-adventure toon (
The Legend of Korra)--why not give him another one, especially since we've never seen him play a pro athlete? Or in this case, pro athlete turned navy diver.
*shirleydoe commentary: "His real name, Mark Duffy, comes from the TV show Man from Atlantis, whose main character Mark was played by Patrick Duffy. That’s where the “bet he has gills” comment comes from. Ann Arbor is where Olympic swimmers train and open water is a newer event for the sport."
#Cobra New Faces
-Marc Worden as the voice of Kraken
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Marc-Worden/
For this deep-sea killer, I think Worden would be wise to draw upon his portrayals of the Parasite (
Justice League Unlimited) and Kanjar-Ro (
Brave and the Bold).
4.
Forest Ambush--From their headquarters, GI Joe has detected a secret Cobra launch site hidden deep in the forest. New GI Joe team members deploy to prevent Cobra from launching the Helium-3 to their Moon base!
#G.I. Joe New Recruits and Allies of the Joe Team (Season 3)
-Mehcad Brooks (
Supergirl) as the voice of Rook/Robert Dane
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1419635/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Brooks is the next actor rep'ing today's hit comic book TV landscape, and in particular, the backstory for his take on Jimmy Olsen--having a father who died in the line of duty (though as a photographer)--inspired this casting.
*shirleydoe commentary: "If he’s the new Grunt, he should be mentored by the old Grunt."
-Marc Worden as the voice of Hot Shot/Dean Griffith
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Marc-Worden/
My reasoning for casting Worden as Underbrush also applies here, though in this case a smokejumper dedicated to his job.
-Michael Jai White as the voice of Rooster/Terrance Hardaway
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Michael-Jai-White/
White's done well in voiceover in addition to his live-action roles, and I knew I wanted him in this cast. Rooster seemed like a fun character for him to work with.
-Kevin Dunn as the voice of Stockpile/Thomas Trekker
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Kevin-Dunn/
Dunn is one of those pretty reliable character actors who I felt would be a great addition. In casting him here, I was inspired by his turn as Maj. Hicks in the 1998
Godzilla film and its animated spinoff series. That last line in his filecard is what I think could convince him to try.
*shirleydoe commentary: "Shh. He’s based on GI Trekker." [Said GI Trekker actually originated the Stockpile character and design in a custom made years and years ago.]
-Nolan North as the voice of Back-Talk/Guy Rudat
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/nolan-north/
I could definitely see North having a ball with Back-Talk--sort of like the equivalent of Robin Williams in
Good Morning, Vietnam.
*shirleydoe commentary: "His name is a mix of the creators of SK Omega (and plenty of GI Joes), Ron Rudat and Guy Cassady. I liked the idea of him being the Howard Stern of the battlefield."
-Michael Rosenbaum as the voice of Switch/Kevin Christiansen, PHX Tech Engineer
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Michael-Rosenbaum/
In casting Rosenbaum, I was thinking of his
Static Shock character, the criminal tech whiz Mr. Trapper. Though in this case, it's more of a 'what if Trapper stayed on the side of the angels'. Switch is based on one of the three founders of Phoenix Customs, Oreobuilder. He's not the only one in this cast...
5. City Strike--Cobra has built a rocket launch base inside the Extensive Enterprises building at the heart of the city! GI Joe must race to capture the base before the final rocket launches to the Moon and Cobra's ultimate weapon is fully operational!
#G.I. Joe New Recruits and Allies of the Joe Team (Season 3)
-Yuri Lowenthal as the voice of Patch/Ron Cassaday
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/yuri-lowenthal/
Lowenthal I felt also had a good voice for a medic who does everything in his power to keep his brothers-in-arms alive.
*shirleydoe commentary: "The second SK Omega name tribute. There are plenty of Joe medics, but Patch is unlike any of them in that he can hurt as well as heal."
-Amy Jo Johnson as the voice of Foxtrot/Amy J. Johnson (alternate choice: Tara Platt)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005057/?ref_=nv_sr_1
When Phoenix Customs debuted Foxtrot, her bio took me by complete surprise--so much so that I immediately asked about her being based on the former Pink Power Ranger herself. (Both have the same name and birthplace). Oreobuilder's response? "Lol, mayyybe. Foxtrot should be easy to voice cast :D. Seriously, good catch. It was meant as a nod to Ms Johnson's role in Flashpoint. Several characters dating back to Resurgence 1 in 2014 have Flashpoint winks in their filecards." The rest is history.
*shirleydoe commentary: "The guys asked me to reference Flashpoint [the 2008 TV series] in her bio."
-Nolan North as the voice of Mudflap/Jake Indiana
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/nolan-north/
I feel North wouldn't have a hard time coming up with a voice for a guy who somehow can get a speeding ticket while driving a tracked vehicle.
*shirleydoe commentary: "If Crankcase [the driver of the 1985 A.W.E. Striker vehicle] is Elwood G. Indiana and Mudflap is Jake G. Indiana, then are they the Indiana Brothers? And do they know all the words to Rawhide? Yes and yes."
-Johnny Yong Bosch as the voice of Sky Blast/Robert Grayson
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Johnny-Yong-Bosch/
Johnson wasn't going to be the only former Power Ranger in this cast. Bosch has really made a name for himself in voiceover, if his long career lending his chops to many anime dubs (such as
Trigun, Bleach, and
Naruto) is any indicator. Playing the successor to Starduster would be adding another fun and interesting character to his resume.
-Dave Wittenberg as the voice of Buckshot/Aaron Buck, PHX Tech Specialist and Courier
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/dave-wittenberg/
Wittenberg's casting was primarily inspired by his time on the cult-favorite animated series
Motorcity. The character is of course based on another Phoenix Customs founder, in this case Bucky. (Bucky, if you're seeing this, hope my choice of VA sits well with you!)
#Cobra Returning and New Faces
-Fred Tatasciore as the voice of Big Boa, B.R.A.H.M.A.
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Fred-Tatasciore/
Same reasoning behind casting Tatasciore as Croc Master earlier. For the case of Big Boa, I was thinking something along the lines of his Major Force from
The Brave and the Bold. With B.R.A.H.M.A., he's got experience voicing a lot of killer robots, like the rogue Bat-Bots (also from
The Brave and the Bold) or the 'Nightmare Ultron' from
Avengers Assemble.
*shirleydoe commentary: "He’s now a sponsored athlete, plus he follows up on the Cobra way – beat everyone up, don’t make friends and make yourself the most important person in your world."
-Maurice LaMarche as the voice of Aleph the Night Creeper Leader
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/maurice-lamarche/
This character had a lot of prominence in the DIC cartoon that LaMarche lent his voice to. I cast him as a way that he could honor his former castmate on that show and the character's original VA, the late Andrew Koening (son of
Star Trek veteran Walter Koening).
*shirleydoe commentary: "The translations of his name really taught me the personality. I like the idea that Night Creepers are all tech and no magic, which would appeal to Cobra more."
6. Lunar Showdown--Cobra's Moon base is operational and Project: Artemis is poised to strike targets around the globe. General Hawk calls upon his best combat astronauts to assault Cobra's super weapon and save the World!
#G.I. Joe New Recruits
-Kari Wahlgren as the voice of Strafe/Skye Simpson
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/kari-wahlgren/
Wahlgren's another favorite of mine in the biz, and I think she's more than qualified to voice this character. She's voiced a skilled racing driver in
IGPX, and a gearhead on
A.T.O.M. Why not add a fighter jock while she's at it? On another note, I really like the name of the jet that Phoenix Customs paired her with: the Thunderstriker.
*shirleydoe commentary: "If you’re a test pilot at Edwards AFB, you’re flying Area 51 stuff. Strafe has gone from the farm to outer space, thanks to being a Joe."
7. Assault on Cobra Island/Siege of Cobra Mountain--The final battle has begun. After their victory on the Moon, GI Joe musters all of its forces. Cobra defends its mountain fortress from GI Joe's all-out assault!
#G.I. Joe Returning Veterans, New Recruits, and Allies of the Joe Team (Season 3)
-Fred Tatasciore as the voice of Long Range/Karl Fritz
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Fred-Tatasciore/
Now of course, Tatasciore has played his share of good guys too. I think he'd have a good voice for an armored vehicle specialist that relies more on his brains than on tech when it comes to hitting the target 100% of the time.
-Michael Jai White as the voice of Offroad/Andrew Federoff
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Michael-Jai-White/
I also felt that Offroad would be a character that White would have a lot of fun with--he'd be playing a guy more at home roughing it on four wheels than sticking to the pavement.
*shirleydoe commentary: "Named for my brother-in-law, who is an Uber driver and often drove that highway."
-Danielle Panabaker (
The Flash) as the voice of Swift/Emma Scott
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1263939/?ref_=nv_sr_1
This is probably my favorite of the 'casting' I've done. I wanted to cast Panabaker as a character who's the total opposite of Dr. Snow, and have her play one living up to a family legacy in a more positive sense.
*shirleydoe commentary: "I love that – like lucha libre and fraternities – the Joe team can have dynasty members. That’s why she’s Hit and Run’s [the Joe team's original light infantry trooper from 1988] daughter. Well, that and to make Justin from General’s Joes happy."
-Roger Craig Smith as the voice of Crash Course/Aaron Abner
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Roger-Craig-Smith/
For this character, I would let Smith come up with his own thing and see what happens. It'd be pretty interesting to see how well he does with a guy who's literaly been 'first' all his life.
*shirleydoe commentary: "With a name like Aaron Abner, of course he’d be picked first. Thanks to Freeman Slavens, who served and explained to me how corrective actions work." (Also--FIRST!!!)
-Joe Dinicol (
Arrow) as the voice of Radar/Josh Rainier, PHX Tech Drone Specialist
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0227710/?ref_=nv_sr_1
I've liked Dinicol's Ragman ever since he first appeared on
Arrow, and was genuinely shocked with the fate of his character on
Blindspot. I figured he could utilize some of the latter in a portrayal of Radar, who's based on the third Phoenix Customs founder Dusty79. (He also has an interesting story behind the creation of the character and figure.)
#Cobra Returning and New Faces
-Brian Cummings as the voice of Dr. Mindbender
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Brian-Cummings/
When featuring Mindbender in a series that continues off the original series, of course Cummings should be back as the good (well, mad) doctor.
*shirleydoe commentary: "The real name comes from
Renegades."
-Peter Stormare as the voice of Mastermind
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Peter-Stormare/
I could also be surprised by whatever Stormare can do with this vengeful genius tactitian and strategist, who treats human lives like mere numbers.
-Brent Spiner as the voice of Professor Braingames
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Brent-Spiner/
His turn voicing the Purple Man on
Earth's Mightiest Heroes is what led me to bring on the
Star Trek: The Next Generation veteran as Cobra's answer to the Joes' Psyche-Out.
-Lex Lang as the voice of Chrysopelea
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Lex-Lang/
I would love to see what Lang could come up with for the most dangerous astronaut in Cobra.
*shirleydoe commentary: "Named after a literal flying snake. I love how Hama’s file cards set up natural rivalries and I continued this here. Also his real name is a Bowie tribute – he’s Major Tom and R. Jones is from Bowie’s real name, David Robert Jones." [RIP, David Bowie.]
And now, comes my MAJOR addition to the overall story, closing the book on the Joe vs. Cobra saga....
Inspired by a set of exclusive figures from a joint collaboration of the Transformers and G.I. Joe Collectors Clubs:
As well as a classic episode of the 80's
Transformers series, "Only Human":
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Only_Human
And a more obscure incarnation of G.I. Joe:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Joe_Extreme
I now present to you....
C) Two-part season/series finale:
The Last Days of Cobra Commander
Twenty years since the fall of Cobra Mountain, Earth Defense Command officer Marissa Faireborn is tasked with following up on a lead stemming from an incident involving crime boss Victor Drath and four of Earth's Autobot allies, all pointing to a black market dealer known as "Old Snake". When all signs point to his true identity being Cobra Commander, out to make one final push for conquest using a small army and reverse-engineered Cybertronian tech, Marissa, her Technobot ally Afterburner, and the GI Joe team of this era must put a stop to this coup before it happens!
#Future G.I. Joe Team and Allies from EDC and the Autobots
-Kari Wahlgren as the voice of Marissa Faireborn
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/kari-wahlgren/
I knew immediately that Wahlgren would be perfect for the daughter of G.I. Joe legends Flint and Lady Jaye. As a bit of an aside, at the end of the story, Marissa takes up an offer to join the Joe Team, her parents' old outfit. Also, I just realized, this would be the second time that Wahlgren would take over for a character's original VA. (The first was when she voiced Ariel in
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.)
-Jim Cummings as the voice of Afterburner
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jim-Cummings/
Afterburner's bio: "Quick to anger and even quicker to attack, Afterburner isn’t one to wait around for orders. Confident his heavy armor protects him, he likes to turn up his speed an burst through enemy lines, firing away as he plunges through. But his defiance doesn’t stop there. He’s generally uncooperative in every way and his nasty temper only makes things worse. He’s a decidedly disruptive machine. Technobot Leader Scattershot is often compelled to take disciplinary measures and forcibly confine Afterburner for periods of time. This only intensifies Afterburner’s hatred of authority and of Scattershot in particular. Afterburner often takes off on his own, and invariably gets into some kind of trouble unrelated to the Autobots’s war with the Decepticons. Afterburner is a rebel with a cause but one that he all too often chooses to ignore."
If I was going to feature a G1 character, I wanted to make sure he'd be played by his original VA. This time, Cummings would have a bit more room to show more of Afterburner's personality.
+Future G.I. Joe Team
-Travis Willingham as the voice of Lt. Stone/Geoffery Stone V
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Travis-Willingham/
Casting Willingham as Stone was inspired by his take on prominent
Street Fighter character Guile (another blonde, military guy). To add a bit more of a legacy aspect to the character, I've posited him as the son of G.I. Joe's original Sgt. Stone (a more expanded-upon version of Brendan Fraiser's character from
Rise of Cobra) and the Joes' savant agent Helix.
-Adam Baldwin as the voice of Sgt. Savage/Robert S. Savage
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Adam-Baldwin/
I once used Baldwin for one of my early G.I. Joe-themed fancasts, so I wanted to bring him in for this one. I was mainly inspired by his Rick Flag Jr. from
Justice League Unlimited, and felt he'd do a fine job as Joe's answer to Captain America. Fun fact, Savage is the one character that connects the Sunbow/DIC years of G.I. Joe to
Extreme, thanks to the
Old Soldiers Never Die cartoon included with one of his action figures.
-Troy Baker as the voice of Ballistic (later Eagle Eye)/Albert Salviatti
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Troy-Baker/
Truth be told, I am not a fan of Baker's Hawkeye in
Avengers Assemble/Ultimate Spider-Man/etc., BUT I think the voice used for that portrayal would work well for Ballistic. He'd be great as this Joe team's steely-eyed sharpshooter. I even have an in-story explanation for the character's name change in real life: he's the protege of, you guessed it, Resurgence's Eagle Eye! He takes it up to honor his former mentor as a show of respect.
-Freddy Rodriguez as the voice of Harpoon/Jose Montalvo
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Freddy-Rodriguez/
I could picture Rodriguez nailing the character's semi-pacifistic nature, wanting to bag tuna more than enemy combatants.
-Grey Griffin as the voice of Mayday/Monica Adams
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Grey-DeLisle/
Casting DeLisle as another legacy Joe was inspired by a few legacy characters she's voiced, chief among them Black Canary in
The Brave and the Bold. The legacy aspect is based on how Larry Hama named a new Mayday (in the Devil's Due run on the comic) after the
Extreme character, so the mother-daughter connection worked out perfectly.
-Steven Yeun (
The Walking Dead) as the voice of Black Dragon/Kang Chi Lee
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3081796/?ref_=nv_sr_1
My way of throwing a bone to fans of
The Walking Dead (I'm more of a Grateful Dead man myself), it's also inspired by his turn as Keith on
Legendary Defender (also a Netflix original series). In expanding on his backstory, I've added the detail that in wanting to get out of the life his Hong Kong crime family was embroiled in, Lee finds himself visiting the hidden dojo of one of the few surviving Arashikage ninja masters: former G.I. Joe member Kim "Jinx" Arashikage, who takes him on as a pupil.
-Gary Sturgis as the voice of Quick Stryke/Rando Bama
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gary-Sturgis/
In casting Sturgis, I wanted someone who'd have a great voice for a character with a big chip on his shoulder--like how he handled Bronze Tiger in
Brave and the Bold and the video game
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.
-Gary Anthony Williams as the voice of Freight/Omar Diesel
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Gary-Anthony-Williams/
I was mainly inspired by his take on the Marvel villain Thunderball (of the Wrecking Crew) in
Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and started picturing how it'd sound if he was on the good side.
-Robert Patrick as the voice of Mr. Clancy
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Robert-Patrick/
Casting Patrick was more or less inspired by his current role in the TV series
Scorpion, where he plays a similar character. He'd be a natural fit for the future Joes' head honcho.
#Cobra Returning Faces
-Hank Azaria as the voice of "Old Snake"
http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/hank-azaria/
Given that I have him as Cobra Commander already, of course I'd have him as the embittered, down-on-his-luck future self of CC. I think Azaria would do a great job portraying his desperation and mania as he goes about his final gambit.
*My reasoning for the story addition: A question that I felt just begged to be answered was, 'with Cobra all but wiped out and CC still alive but a derilect, what happens when he himself tries for one last stab at world conquest?' So I crafted this 'season/series finale' as a means of tying up that loose end, while also giving fans a true crossover between Transformers and Joe proper (instead of the 'hints' the Sunbow era gave in different episodes back in the old days) and showing how the Extreme incarnation fits into all of that. As mentioned prior, I conclude it by having Marissa take up Clancy's offer to join the Joes, as a way of honoring her parents by helping them take down the new and deadly threat of S.K.A.R.*
*WHEW!!* I haven't given this much effort in a fancast since my Robotech one from 2014. I hope you all enjoyed this, and apologize for the length, and am glad if I brought up some fond memories in the minds of Joe fans on this site. Most of all, I hope the fine folks at Phoenix Customs enjoyed this and appreciate this lil' shout-out to them. YOOOO JOE!!!
And now, ladies and germs, get down and give it up for the Godfather of Soul, MISTER JAMES BROWN!