Bradley Cooper Enlists for Danny McBride’s ‘G.I. Joe’ Reboot

Hasbro’s most famous military toy line has had a rough time on the big screen lately. After ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra‘ in 2009 and ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ in 2013, Paramount tried to restart the franchise with 2021’s ‘Snake Eyes’, which grossed just $40 million. The property has been dormant ever since.

That is changing under Paramount’s new regime. The studio, now owned by David Ellison, has been ramping up development on major brands, and a new ‘G.I. Joe’ movie has been one of its priorities. Danny McBride, a self-described massive fan of the property, wrote the script and will make his feature directing debut on it.

Now the film has found its leader. According to Variety, Bradley Cooper will star as field commander Duke in Paramount’s ‘G.I. Joe’ movie from McBride. Paramount announced the casting on Thursday.

Plot details and further casting remain under wraps, but Paramount promises a fresh take on the iconic toy line. McBride penned the screenplay with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri. Paramount also confirmed that the film has been uncoupled from the ‘Transformers’ franchise, a crossover teased at the end of 2023’s ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’.

Duke, whose real name is Conrad Hauser, is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and the field leader of the team. Channing Tatum played him in two live-action films, though the character perished early in the second. Cooper now steps into the role for a reimagined version of the story.

Getting him was no small feat. According to Deadline, Cooper sat at the top of McBride’s wish list, but there were concerns that his commitment to direct and star in a project alongside Margot Robbie and Monica Barbaro would keep him away. Cooper was reportedly eager to negotiate after reading the script and meeting with McBride.

For Cooper, this is a rare franchise play. His last major role was starring as Leonard Bernstein in ‘Maestro’, which he also co-wrote and directed, earning four Oscar nominations. He also co-wrote, directed and starred in ‘Is This Thing On?’, and he voices Rocket in Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies.

The two men have history, too. Cooper previously appeared in an episode of McBride’s HBO series ‘The Righteous Gemstones’, which makes the pairing feel less like a studio match and more like a creative reunion.

Despite McBride’s comedy background, the film is not expected to be a comedy. Reports say it will focus on suspense and action, with a story set in a town called Springfield that is secretly all Cobra. McBride has previously directed the pilot of ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ and episodes of ‘Vice Principals’, but never an action tentpole like this one, and he also co-wrote and produced the ‘Halloween’ trilogy.

There is still a lot we don’t know. Paramount has not set a release date, though McBride has said the team is aiming to film in 2027. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman of Hasbro Entertainment are producing.

With Cooper locked in as Duke, the rest of the Joes and the villains of Cobra are the next questions to answer. If the studio can assemble an ensemble around him, this reboot may finally get the ‘G.I. Joe’ franchise back on its feet.

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