Bradley Cooper is set to star as Duke in Paramount Pictures’ new “G.I. Joe” movie, with Danny McBride directing and co-writing the latest feature based on Hasbro’s iconic toy line. Cooper will play the field commander of the G.I. Joe team in what Paramount is describing as a fresh take on the long-running franchise. Plot details and further casting remain under wraps, while the studio has not yet announced a release date for the film.
The upcoming “G.I. Joe” movie is being developed as a reimagining of the franchise rather than a direct continuation of the earlier live-action films. McBride is directing the project and has written the screenplay with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri. The film marks McBride’s first major feature directing effort, following his work as a writer, actor, producer and television director. He previously directed the pilot of HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones” and several episodes of “Vice Principals.”
McBride’s involvement in the project dates back to the development stage of Paramount’s new “G.I. Joe” reboot. In July, TheWrap reported that McBride would direct the film and had written the script. At the time, he described himself as a longtime fan of the property, citing the “G.I. Joe” cartoons and comics as an important part of his childhood. His version is now moving forward with Cooper attached to play one of the franchise’s most recognizable characters.
While Paramount has not revealed a complete synopsis, McBride previously offered some details about the story. He said the film follows Duke and a group of other Joes, with the story taking place in Springfield, a town from the “G.I. Joe” comics that is secretly controlled by Cobra. McBride had also indicated that several other actors were being considered for the project, although Paramount has not officially announced additional casting alongside Cooper.
The casting of Cooper gives the new film a new actor in the role of Duke following Channing Tatum’s portrayal of the character in the earlier live-action “G.I. Joe” movies. Tatum played Duke in 2009’s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and returned for 2013’s “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.” The upcoming film is not being positioned as a continuation of those movies, however, with Paramount instead developing the property around a new continuity and creative approach.
Paramount has also confirmed a significant change to the franchise’s previously planned connection with “Transformers.” The studio said the new “G.I. Joe” movie has been “uncoupled” from the “Transformers” franchise. The crossover between the two Hasbro properties had been teased at the end of 2023’s “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” which introduced a connection between the two franchises and appeared to set up a future crossover project. That previously planned crossover is no longer part of the new “G.I. Joe” movie.
The decision gives Paramount’s latest “G.I. Joe” film a standalone starting point. Rather than continuing toward the crossover teased in “Rise of the Beasts,” the new movie will establish its own version of the franchise, with Cooper’s Duke at the center of the story. Paramount has not indicated whether elements from the previous live-action films will carry over into the new continuity.
The film is being produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman for Hasbro Entertainment. The project is part of Hasbro Entertainment’s broader strategy to develop new films and television projects based on the company’s established brands. For Paramount, the movie also represents the latest attempt to revive “G.I. Joe” as a major theatrical property after the franchise was last seen on the big screen with 2021’s “Snake Eyes.”
The earlier live-action “G.I. Joe” franchise began with Stephen Sommers’ “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” in 2009. The film starred Channing Tatum as Duke and introduced a large-scale interpretation of the military-focused Hasbro property. Jon M. Chu’s “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” followed in 2013, with Dwayne Johnson joining the franchise. The series then moved to the “Snake Eyes” origin story in 2021, starring Henry Golding. The new film will now take the property in a different direction under McBride’s creative leadership.
For Cooper, the “G.I. Joe” film adds another major studio project to his upcoming slate. Variety reports that the actor is currently in production on an “Ocean’s 11” prequel, which he is directing and starring in alongside Margot Robbie and Monica Barbaro. Cooper’s casting as Duke therefore places him at the center of another major franchise project while he continues to take on both acting and directing responsibilities.
No further casting has been officially confirmed for the new “G.I. Joe” movie, and Paramount has yet to announce when production will begin or when the film will be released. The studio has also kept most of the story details under wraps beyond the information previously shared by McBride about Duke, the other Joes and Springfield.
For now, the confirmed elements of the project are Cooper as Duke, McBride as director and co-writer, a screenplay by McBride, Fradley and Carcieri, and a new approach to the Hasbro property. With the previously teased “Transformers” crossover no longer attached, Paramount is moving forward with the new “G.I. Joe” as a separate film that will establish a fresh direction for the franchise.
