Tom Hanks is Major Matt Mason

Hey, if the G.I. Joe boys are getting their own movie, why not Major Matt Mason? Who exactly is Major Matt Mason? Um, I haven’t a clue, but Variety says it used to be a toy line from the ’60s, during the heyday of NASA’s moon missions. The line was retired in the ’70s, which might explain why you’d have to live through the ’60s to remember it. Tom Hanks, it appears, knows a thing or two about Major Matt Mason, and he’s planning a live-action movie based on the toy, with an eye towards starring.

More about the toy line from Variety:

The toy line originated in 1966; Mason led an astronaut team that worked on the moon and lived in a space station. The toy was a hit in the buildup to the first manned moon mission. Mattel retired the line in the 1970s.

When Mattel execs Tim Kilpin and Barry Waldo came to Playtone for a meeting, they brought an arsenal of the Matt Mason figures. Hanks came armed with his own.

If Tom Hanks brought his own Major Matt Mason toys to the meeting, it’s a pretty good chance he’s going to star in the movie. Graham Yost, who has worked with Hanks on everything from “Band of Brothers” to “From the Earth to the Moon” will write the script.

Below: Yeah, but does Major Matt Mason come with a ninja sword? I think not!