Paramount’s new G.I. Joe movie casts Bradley Cooper as Duke
A major star is suiting up as Duke in Paramount’s G.I. Joe reboot, putting real marquee power at the center of its next chapter.
Bradley Cooper is suiting up as Duke — the G.I. Joe team’s field commander — in a new Paramount movie led by Danny McBride. McBride is directing and co-writing this fresh take on Hasbro’s long-running military property with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri.
The studio says this Joe adventure is being built on its own, not as a crossover with Paramount’s Transformers films — even after that wink to G.I. Joe at the end of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
The new G.I. Joe movie is separate from the Transformers universe.
How Cooper signed on
According to Deadline, McBride had Cooper at the top of his list the moment he landed the directing job. Cooper’s schedule was reportedly a question mark — Deadline says he’s juggling an Ocean’s prequel he’s writing, directing and starring in opposite Margot Robbie — but after reading McBride’s script and meeting with him, Cooper wanted in. Negotiations kicked off in recent weeks, per the outlet.
A McBride–Cooper reunion
This pairing isn’t coming out of nowhere. Cooper previously popped up on McBride’s HBO series The Righteous Gemstones, playing Gemstone family ancestor Elijah Gemstone in a memorable detour. Now their paths cross again, only this time it’s on a big studio action play with Cooper front and center as the franchise’s on-field leader.
- Director — Danny McBride
- Writers — Danny McBride, Jeff Fradley, John Carcieri
- Lead role — Bradley Cooper as Duke
Beyond Cooper’s casting, Paramount hasn’t detailed additional roles or a timeline, but Deadline notes the Cooper deal came together recently after his sit-down with McBride.