It looks like Amy Winehouse isn’t the only person facing visa issues right now. The G.I. Joe movie, scheduled to begin filming this week, is having to do some quick shuffling to compensate for the loss of a cast member after David Murray was unable to get his work visa in time.

The actor was slated to play arms dealer Destro, who reportedly is a large part of the storyline according to early script reviews, so the loss of a key actor could be pretty devastating. IESB reports that the studio is playing up how “disheartened” they are that Murray’s immigration issues couldn’t be rectified before the film started (of course, what are they supposed to say – lucky us for losing the actor?). Don’t weep too many tears for Destro, however, because the same site is reporting a replacement has already been found.

According to IESB, Paramount Pictures has confirmed that 28 Days Later and Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston will be taking on the mantle of Destro for the G.I. Joe movie. Frankly, this couldn’t be a better pick for Murray’s replacement (except possibly for the initially rumored Dominic West). Eccleston can play the snide and haughty character pretty well, as evidenced by his previous experience. He’s also just a name I love to see attached to projects, so I’m excited to hear about this last minute cast change.

Then again, I have been a bit wary of this toy/comic book adaptation, so this could turn out to be a good thing for Murray and a not so fortunate thing for Eccleston. Remember, not every last minute cast change winds up as beneficial as Lord of the Rings did for Viggo Mortensen.