Bradley Cooper has been officially cast as Duke in Danny McBride's upcoming G.I. Joe movie reboot, according to a recent press release. Cooper steps into the role previously played by Channing Tatum in the first two live-action G.I. Joe films. Tatum's character was portrayed as a newcomer to the Joes in the initial movie.
Paramount Pictures had been exploring two different G.I. Joe movie concepts earlier in 2026. One was from writer Max Landis, but the studio ultimately passed on his treatment in March. McBride's film will serve as a fresh start for the franchise and will not be connected to the previously planned Transformers crossover.
McBride, known for his comedic work, has stated that his G.I. Joe film will lean into suspense and action rather than comedy. He revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in July that the story will focus on Duke and a group of other Joes, with a significant portion set in Springfield, a town depicted in the comics as being secretly controlled by Cobra. "It's like kind of suspense and action, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun... You're following Duke and a group of other Joes... There's that town in the comic, Springfield, which is a town that's secretly all Cobra, and so that is where our film takes place," McBride said.
Given that casting has just begun, the film is likely still several years from release. It continues Hollywood's trend of adapting toy intellectual properties into feature films, joining recent projects like Barbie and Masters of the Universe, and the upcoming Matchbox: The Movie slated for October 9.