G.I. Joe: Renegades

G.I. Joe: Renegades is an American animated television series based on the G.I. Joe toy franchise. The series aired on The Hub from November 26, 2010, to July 23, 2011.

The series was formerly available to stream on Netflix from April 5, 2012, up until February 2015, as streaming rights to the show, along with other Hasbro Studios shows were transferred to advertiser-supported video-on-demand service Tubi TV, which launched in April 2014 and it is currently available for streaming online on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi and YouTube (via the G.I. Joe channel). DVD and Blu-ray releases by Shout! Factory came out in 2013.

Plot
A small group of US military personnel are forced to become fugitives, after uncovering suspicious activity at a Cobra Industries pharmaceutical facility. Now branded as renegades by the media for terrorist crimes that they did not commit and pursued by the military as well as Cobra mercenaries, they must use their specialized military skills to prove their innocence and to expose the true face of Cobra Industries and its mysterious leader, Adam DeCobray.

(According to the recent "Hub Exclusive" TV broadcast promoting this series and Transformers: Prime, homages to The A-Team are used in the background of this incarnation of the characters. Most notable is that Roadblock is stated to parallel B.A. Baracus in size and mechanical aptitude, and Flint is a Lieutenant, rather than a warrant officer and is specifically the officer assigned to arrest the "Renegades", akin to Colonel Lynch of the A-Team series. Also, Lady Jaye is sympathetic to her longtime friend Duke and provides covert support for him and the Renegades, much like Captain Charissa Sosa in the A-Team film and Amy Allen in the 1980s TV series.)

Opening narration
After two episodes, the series' intro is narrated by David Kaye:

"Accused of a crime they didn't commit, a ragtag band of fugitives fights a covert battle to clear their names and expose the insidious enemy that is... Cobra. Some call them outlaws. Some call them heroes. But these determined men and women think of themselves only as 'Ordinary Joes'. And this is their story."

Cast

 * Charlie Adler - Cobra Commander, Buzzer, Monkeywrench, Jumpmaster (ep. 1) Cobra Trooper #1 (ep. 1), Swami Vipra (ep. 13), Guard #2 (ep. 20)
 * Clancy Brown - Destro, Truman (ep. 8), Whistleblower (ep. 11)
 * Natalia Cigliuti - Scarlett
 * Nika Futterman - Lady Jaye, Female Reporter (ep. 1, 7), Sheriff's Clerk (ep. 10)
 * David Kaye - Main Title Narrator, Professor Patrick O'Hara (ep. 25–26)
 * Matthew Yang King - Tunnel Rat, Torch, Cobra Trooper #3 (ep. 1), Country Clerk (ep. 10), Technician (ep. 10), Cobra Guard #1 (ep. 16), Pilot (ep. 19), Operations Tech (ep. 24), Cobra Guard (ep. 26)
 * Jason Marsden - Duke, Ripper, Trooper #2 (ep. 1), Mitchell (ep. 2), Prison Guard #1 (ep. 10), Intel (ep. 10)
 * Johnny Messner - Flint
 * Khary Payton - Ripcord, Lead Cobra Trooper (ep. 1), Guard #1 (ep. 20)
 * Kevin Michael Richardson - Roadblock, Road Pig, Computer Voice, Major Hidalgo (ep. 1), Cobra Security Trooper (ep. 1), Mechanic (ep. 10), News Anchor (ep. 11), Crowd Member #1 (ep. 12), Franz (ep. 13), Guard #1 (ep. 13), Moon (ep. 16), Sailor (ep. 16), Preacher Davis (ep. 23)
 * Charlie Schlatter - Doctor Mindbender, Wild Bill, Lift-Ticket, Security Chief (ep. 1)
 * Tatyana Yassukovich - Baroness, Receptionist (ep. 1)

Production
G.I. Joe: Renegades finished its first season original broadcast with the episode "Revelations - Part 2" on July 23, 2011. The series went on hiatus status according to Hub PR department, with no news of renewal for a second season in July 2011. On January 26, 2012, when asked when viewers would see a second season, Henry Gilroy said, "Actually, you're probably not going to."

In January 2023, twelve years after the series went off the air, Henry Gilroy revealed that the show's cancellation was due to creative conflicts with Hasbro, including the planned second season's resemblance to the live-action G.I. Joe films, and Hasbro's desire to focus on the upcoming film G.I. Joe: Retaliation instead of continuing the animated series.

Home video release
On June 5, 2012, Shout! Factory released "G.I. Joe: Renegades - Season 1, Volume 1" on DVD. "G.I. Joe: Renegades - Season 1, Volume 2" was released on DVD on September 25, 2012; the entire season was released on Blu-ray Disc at that time, as well.

Comic books
As adaptations of episodes of the TV series, IDW Publishing published four comic books under the name of G.I. Joe: Renegades. The comic books were released out of order. Each comic book is 104 pages long.
 * Volume 1 was released on January 10, 2012.
 * Volume 2 and 3 were released on July 22, 2012.
 * Volume 4 were released on August 9, 2012.

Toys
Action figures of Duke, Ripcord, Scarlett, Snake Eyes and Tunnel Rat were released in 2011, based on the characters from G.I. Joe: Renegades, with the additional action figures of Law & Order and Airtight. Renegades versions of Cobra Commander, Cobra Trooper, Firefly and Storm Shadow were also released as action figures in 2011. All action figures were branded as part of the 30th Anniversary line. Finally, the main G.I. Joe Renegades team was completed in 2017 with the release of Roadblock as part of the San Diego Comic Con-exclusive IDW Revolution box set.

Ratings
The Transformers: Prime/G.I. Joe Renegades block of special programming on Friday from 3:30 p.m.–7 p.m. generated significant gains audience versus the previous week among households and key demographics: HH (+111%, 97,000), Persons 2+ (+133%, 142,000), Kids 2-11 (+130%, 62,000), Kids 6-11 (+78%, 32,000), Adults 18-49 (+117%, 50,000) and Women 18-49 (+120%, 11,000).