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Channing Tatum Confirmed as Duke in G.I. Joe Movie?

by Alex Billington
January 28, 2008
Source: Ain't It Cool News

I'm very hesitant about running casting news nowadays, given that every "other" movie site out there thinks they have a scoop and jumps on it before anyone really confirms. With G.I. Joe especially, it has happened all too much and now I'm being a bit cautious. However, that doesn't mean we can't talk about the latest supposedly confirmed casting bit stating that Channing Tatum has been cast in the G.I. Joe movie. Ain't It Cool News claims to have actual confirmation that the 27-year-old actor will play the character Duke.

Tatum joins alongside of Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Duke is the field commander and second in command of the G.I. Joe team after Hawk, who has currently not been cast. Duke is one of the central characters in the G.I. Joe universe. I really hope the studio puts out a full cast list and updated synopsis soon so that there isn't any more confusion as to who we're missing or if they're even in the story.

The biggest complaint that's being brought up about Tatum is that he's a bit too young and too inexperienced to be playing someone as iconic as Duke. His previous films include She's the Man, Step Up, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and the upcoming Stop Loss. He was actually the better part of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, but beyond that I hope this is his breakout mainstream role.

G.I. Joe is directed by Stephen Sommers (Deep Rising, The Mummy, Van Helsing) and written by both Stuart Beattie and Skip Woods. The movie arrives in theaters on August 7th, 2009.

Update: This casting has been officially confirmed by the studio, along with Dennis Quaid as General Hawk. More information on Quaid's casting can be found here.

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Related categories: Casting, Movie News, Rumors

Heckle

Not liking the casting on this movie at all. Duke should be a war veteran. This kid looks like he just got into highschool.
PG

This is the worst news I've heard all day. This movie is gonna suck beyond bad. They picked Tatum to promote the movie to the younger crowd *cough* teenage girls and the MTV kiddies... ZzZz. I see they have the market covered now with two "hip" actors in Tatum and Marlon Wayans. What a slap in the face to the G.I. Joe franchise and to the fans who grew up with it.
Cyfer1

i still think wayans can pull it off, but tatum seems way too young 2 b 2nd in command of an elite unit.i cant imagine snake eyes takin orders from a young whippersnapper.im seeing a paris hilton-thats-hot-casting list here and that is sooo NOT hot.hope it shapes up better.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

I don't know who the casting director for this film is but it is very odd almost every choice made.
JoeJoe

This is bad news! I knew this movie would suck when the Marlon Wayans was brought on. I hate how people who know nothing about GI Joe make a movie about a epic classic story and totally destroy it with washed up low class actors. The dude playing duke looks like he's 20? Dukes a man. Not a kid.
John

I think Marlan Wayans can bring some comedic spin, the G. I. Joe cartoon had some humor. I'm not quite understanding why they picked a very young actor for Duke. I pictured the actor to play Duke to be in his late 30's or early 40's (2nd in command after Hawk). Channing Tatum is not even 30. Duke was probably the most recognizable charactor in the G.I. Joe comics and cartoon. I can think of a number of actors to have played duke like Matthew Mcconaughey, Josh Lucas (Both Matthew Mcconaughey and Josh Lucas would've been perfect for the role), Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg, Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Paul Walker (Paul Walker looks young but he's a lot older you think). If there was going to be a character Quick Kick, I can picture Russell Wong. I think Dennis Quaid was a great choice as General Hawk.