They've got names like Storm Shadow, Snake Eyes, Ripcord and Heavy Duty. They know how to handle samurai swords, ultra-portable heat-seeking rockets and SUVs in the midst of high-speed chases. They are the men and women, the heroes and villains, the cast of butt-kickers in [movie id="363653"]'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'[/movie]

But before they entered into the "Joe" universe -- which was born in the '60s and is best known for its '80s-era cartoon and action figures -- not every actor had a deep familiarity with the franchise mythology.

Both [movieperson id="380573"]Channing Tatum[/movieperson] (Duke) and [movieperson id="66035"]Marlon Wayans[/movieperson] (Ripcord) told MTV that they were huge fans of the cartoon series. Wayans and his brother used to run home from school in time to sing along with the show's iconic opening theme song, "G.I. Joe, a real American hero -- G.I. Joe is there!"

And as fans of the show, they knew they had to pump out a big-screen adaptation that would satisfy the longtime fanbase. "I knew if we didn't do a good job, some dude out of Comic-Con was gonna kick all of our behinds," Wayans said.

The biggest Joe fan on the set, though, turned out to Ray Park, who plays silent samurai Snake Eyes. "He stayed in character the whole time," Wayans said.

[movieperson id="329708"]Sienna Miller[/movieperson], who plays the Baroness, was raised in Britain and thus was at a considerable disadvantage when it came to showing off her knowledge of the American soldiers in "Joe." "We had Action Man!" she laughed of Joe's British counterpart.

While Rachel Nichols, who plays Scarlett, was born Stateside, she mostly steered clear of action figures as a child. "I had a younger brother who played with G.I. Joe," she said. "I was more of a Barbie girl. G.I. Joe was known from time to time to date Barbie!"

Of the ladies, Miller said, "If it was a Barbie movie, we'd know everything!"

Check out everything we've got on "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."

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