Bradley Cooper Cast as Duke in Danny McBride's Paramount G.I. Joe Reboot

Key points

• Bradley Cooper is set to play Duke, the leader of the G.I. Joe team, in a new Paramount Pictures film.
• Danny McBride is directing and co-writing the script with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri.
• The movie is a fresh take on the Hasbro property, not connected to the 2009 or 2013 live-action films.
• Paramount has officially uncoupled the G.I. Joe project from the Transformers franchise.
• Production is expected to begin next year, with filming potentially starting in 2027.
• Cooper is currently in production on an Ocean's prequel, which he is also directing and starring in.

Background

This announcement follows earlier reports from our archive on October 1, 2026, confirming Cooper's casting and the project's status as a standalone reboot. The G.I. Joe franchise, originally a toy line from the 1960s, gained modern relevance in the 1980s through cartoons and comics, featuring characters like Duke, Roadblock, and Snake Eyes against the Cobra organization. Previous live-action films, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009) and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), were released by Paramount, with Channing Tatum playing Duke and Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock in the latter. The new project is part of Paramount's broader strategy under new ownership to revitalize major IP, including Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Sonic the Hedgehog.

How outlets are covering it

The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, and USA Today all confirm the core facts: Cooper's casting, McBride's directing role, and the film's status as a reboot. Deadline emphasizes that Cooper was McBride's top choice and that negotiations began after Cooper read the script, noting Cooper's busy schedule with the Ocean's prequel. Variety highlights that this is McBride's first major directing effort and confirms the uncoupling from Transformers. USA Today provides additional context, noting that McBride mentioned in a July podcast that the film centers on Duke and the Joes in a town called Springfield that is secretly Cobra, a storyline from the 1980s comics, and that filming is expected to start next year. All outlets agree on the producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, and Zev Foreman of Hasbro Entertainment.

Why it matters

This casting signals a significant push by Paramount to revitalize its major IP portfolio under new leadership. Securing a high-profile actor like Bradley Cooper for a franchise that has not had a live-action film since 2013 indicates a commitment to making G.I. Joe a priority project. The involvement of Danny McBride, known for his distinctive voice and creative vision, suggests a potential shift in tone for the franchise, moving away from the previous live-action films. The decoupling from Transformers also allows for a more focused narrative on the G.I. Joe characters and their conflict with Cobra.

What to watch

Paramount is expected to announce further casting for the ensemble cast in the coming months. Filming is anticipated to begin in 2027, as mentioned by McBride in a July podcast. The studio will likely continue to develop other major IP projects, including a Days of Thunder sequel, a World War Z sequel, and a new Star Trek film, as part of its broader strategy to revitalize its franchise portfolio.