Bradley Cooper is joining the ranks of Hasbro’s most famous fighting force. The Oscar-nominated actor has been cast as Duke, the iconic lead character of the “G.I. Joe” franchise, in Paramount’s new standalone reimagining directed by Danny McBride.
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The Casting
Deadline first reported Cooper’s casting as Duke, confirming he’ll lead Danny McBride’s full reimagining of the “G.I. Joe” franchise. The film will follow Cooper’s Duke and a squad of fellow Joes based in Springfield, a town secretly controlled by the terrorist organization Cobra — a setting drawn directly from Larry Hama’s original G.I. Joe comic book lore rather than the earlier film series’ settings. Plot details beyond that premise remain under wraps for now.
Casting Snapshot
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Actor | Bradley Cooper |
| Role | Conrad “Duke” Hauser |
| Director | Danny McBride |
| Studio | Paramount |
| Setting | Springfield (Cobra-controlled town, per Larry Hama comics) |
| Status | Standalone reboot — no longer tied to Transformers crossover |
| Previous Duke Actors | Channing Tatum (2009, 2013), Chris Hemsworth (previously attached to crossover) |
| Prior G.I. Joe Reboot | Snake Eyes (2021) — did not turn a profit |
| Transformers Franchise Earnings | $5.2 billion to date |
A Franchise Going It Alone
Cooper’s casting arrives alongside confirmation that this G.I. Joe reboot has been “uncoupled” from a long-planned crossover film with the “Transformers” franchise, which Paramount has now confirmed is no longer in development. That crossover had been building momentum for years, dating back to producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura first floating the idea in 2013, and was officially set up on screen in the post-credits scene of 2023’s “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.”
It was formally announced at CinemaCon in 2024, with Chris Hemsworth — who’d already voiced Optimus Prime in “Transformers One” — circling the role Cooper has now taken. With that project scrapped, McBride’s G.I. Joe film moves forward as its own self-contained relaunch rather than part of a shared Hasbro cinematic universe.
Why a Fresh Start
G.I. Joe’s film history has been uneven. The franchise’s earlier live-action era saw Channing Tatum play Duke in “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009) and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013), the latter also introducing Dwayne Johnson to the cast. Paramount later attempted a reboot with 2021’s “Snake Eyes,” but that film failed to turn a profit. Reports indicate McBride had initially pitched a narrower spinoff centred on the Dreadnoks, a niche corner of G.I. Joe lore, only for Paramount to tell him the core franchise needed a full relaunch first — which appears to have led directly to this new, Cooper-led reimagining.
Why It Matters
Landing an actor of Cooper’s calibre as the character long seen as the face of G.I. Joe signals Paramount’s intent to give the franchise a genuinely prestige-level relaunch after the underwhelming returns of “Snake Eyes.” With the Transformers crossover now shelved and Paramount simultaneously navigating its Skydance merger and pending Warner Bros. acquisition, this standalone approach suggests the studio is prioritising stabilising its individual Hasbro properties before attempting any shared-universe ambitions again.
Read More: Paramount Cancels Long-Awaited ‘Transformers/G.I. Joe’ Crossover Film
FAQs
Who is playing Duke in the new G.I. Joe movie?
Bradley Cooper.
Is this G.I. Joe film connected to Transformers?
No, the previously planned Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover has been cancelled, and this film is a standalone reboot.
Who is directing the new G.I. Joe movie?
Danny McBride.
Where is the film set?
In Springfield, a town secretly controlled by Cobra, drawing from the original Larry Hama comics.
Who played Duke in previous G.I. Joe films?
Channing Tatum played the role in “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009) and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013).
