In the era of reboots and revivals, some beloved intellectual properties and franchises are getting reimagined for a new generation of viewers. Some reimaginations are taking characters from a 2D animated world into the real one. The G.I. Joe franchise is coming to streaming but with a live-action twist and less team-oriented. A G.I. Joe vet is getting a solo shot with a streaming television series.
According to Deadline, G.I. Joe undercover operative Lady Jaye is getting her streaming television series. The live-action series is currently in development at Amazon. It will be a standalone story centered around the beloved operative but connected to the larger G.I. Joe universe. As the series is currently in development, there has been no casting news, production start or release date announced at this time.
With the Lady Jaye-centric live-action series being under Amazon Studios, Carnival Row’s Erik Oleson will serve as the creator and showrunner. At the same time, he will act as an executive producer alongside Lorenzo DiBonaventura. While Prime Video will be the home of the upcoming series, Paramount Television Studios, eOne and Skydance Television will work together to produce it.
The last time Lady Jaye was seen on-screen was in the 2013 G.I. Joe sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation. In the film, Orville’s Adrianne Palicki portrayed the character in a supporting role. The character first appeared in the 1985 animated series and became immensely popular. Her popularity on the iconic series led to her becoming an integral part of the G.I. Joe universe. She was turned into an action figure and incorporated into various iterations of the ongoing comic book series.
To put things in perspective, the original Sunbow-produced G.I. Joe animated series ran for two seasons spanning from 1985 to 1986. Since her introduction, Lady Jaye has appeared in a multitude of G.I. Joe-centric animated series and films with her last appearance being the Hub animated series G.I. Joe: Renegades. This incarnation was portrayed as a Latina compared to her traditional portrayal as a brunette white woman.
Lady Jaye isn’t the only G.I. Joe character to get a live-action adaptation. Another beloved character Snake Eyes is being played by Crazy Rich Asian’s Henry Golding in a solo film set to arrive on Oct. 22, 2021. Between these two projects, G.I. Joe appears to be gearing up for a major comeback. Bringing Lady Jaye to the small screen for a standalone story proves just how popular and important the character continues to be after her introduction several decades ago. What’s even more important is the male-centric media franchise putting its support behind a female-centric story. It’s nice to see one of the franchise’s most beloved female characters get her time to shine.
