Concept Art of Destro Mask from G.I. Joe

Published by Jeff Leins on: August 3rd, 2009

G.I. Rise of the Cobra opens in theaters this Friday and has surprised many people (including me) by gathering plenty of early positive reviews.  Right now it holds an impressive 88% on RottenTomatoes with only eight professional reviews submitted (because Paramount refuses screenings).

To help hype the late summer blockbuster, a concept art image was posted today on the official website of Stephen Sommers, the movie’s director.  The picture (posted below) shows the mask of Destro, a key villain and member of the Cobra organization played by Christopher Eccleston.

Here’s the blurb from the site: James McCullen has been called many things – arms dealer, heartless mercenary, war profiteer – yet none of those chilling titles sums him up as simply or as brutally as the name by which he’s referred to only in whispers: Destro. Here, exclusive to the site, is a first look at the concept art for Destro’s appearance in G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra. Illustrator Matt Codd was provided with references from G.I. Joe comics, action figures and episodes of the animated series in order to ensure that careful attention was paid to maintaining the character’s unique and iconic look – all while making him appear as realistic as possible.