Bradley Cooper G.I. Joe Reboot: Duke Casting, Danny McBride Directing and Springfield Story Details

Paramount Pictures has confirmed that Bradley Cooper will lead the studio's new G.I. Joe reboot as field commander Duke, with Danny McBride making his feature-film directorial debut on the project.

The announcement came on 1 October, ending weeks of speculation about who would helm the iconic military unit in the latest reimagining of the Hasbro toy franchise.

For context, the G.I. Joe property has seen multiple attempts at a cohesive cinematic universe, most recently with 2021's Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, which underperformed and left the franchise in limbo. A planned crossover with Transformers is also no longer in development, paving the way for a fresh start.

McBride, best known for creating and starring in HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, had Cooper at the top of his wish list for the lead after landing the directing job earlier this year, according to Deadline.

Cooper Confirmed as Duke Lead

Cooper, a 12-time Oscar nominee, will portray Duke, the field commander of the G.I. Joe team, a role previously played by Channing Tatum in 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its 2013 sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

The actor, who made a cameo appearance in the final season of McBride's The Righteous Gemstones, reportedly agreed to join the project after reading the script and meeting with the director.

Deadline reported that Cooper was McBride's first choice for the role, with the actor ultimately agreeing to take part after reading the script and meeting with the filmmaker.

Paramount has described the film as a 'reimagining' of the franchise, with the new project separate from the previously planned Transformers crossover, which is no longer in development.
No other casting announcements have been made, while the film's release date has also yet to be announced.

McBride Plots Cobra in Springfield

McBride is co-writing the screenplay with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri, his collaborators on The Righteous Gemstones, marking his first major feature directorial effort after previously directing episodes of television series including The Righteous Gemstones and Vice Principals.

During a July appearance on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, the filmmaker outlined the story's core premise, which draws from the 1980s Marvel Comics run.

'It's like kind of suspense and action, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun,' McBride told host Josh Horowitz. '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.'

The Springfield storyline, in which the terrorist organisation Cobra has infiltrated an entire American town, was featured in the original G.I. Joe comics and could give McBride's reboot a different setting from the previous live-action films.

McBride has said he is looking to begin filming next year, although Paramount has not announced an official production start date or theatrical release window.

Nothing is confirmed yet regarding the rest of the cast, so further details remain subject to official announcements from Paramount.