Title: Bradley Cooper to Play Duke in Danny McBride's G.I. Joe Reboot for Paramount
Bradley Cooper has been cast as Duke in Paramount Pictures' upcoming G.I. Joe reboot, directed by Danny McBride, as reported by Deadline and Variety on October 2, 2026. The film marks a fresh start for the action franchise based on the Hasbro toy line, and it will no longer be linked to the Transformers universe.
Duke — real name Conrad S. Hauser — is the fan-favourite first sergeant and field commander of the Joe team, and Cooper reportedly topped McBride's wish list for the role once the filmmaker boarded the project. The casting was confirmed following recent negotiations.
A reunion and a new direction
The project reunites Cooper and McBride after their collaboration on the HBO comedy series The Righteous Gemstones, which McBride created and starred in. McBride has written the screenplay with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri, and G.I. Joe will be his first major feature-directing effort — a notable shift from his comedy background into big-scale action filmmaking. The film is being produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman for Hasbro Entertainment.
Paramount has confirmed the reboot has been "uncoupled" from the Transformers franchise, ending the crossover plans teased at the end of 2023's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Plot details and further casting remain under wraps, with the studio promising a fresh take on the iconic property.
Cooper's packed slate
The G.I. Joe role lands amid a busy run for Cooper. He is currently in production on an Ocean's Eleven prequel in Europe, which he is directing and starring in alongside Margot Robbie and Monica Barbaro, and he is part of the voice cast of Ally, Bong Joon Ho's first animated film. Despite that schedule, he signed on after a recent meeting with McBride and reading the screenplay. The earlier live-action G.I. Joe films — including the Henry Golding-led Snake Eyes — earned a combined total of around $720 million worldwide.
Sources: Cinema Express — "Bradley Cooper to play Duke in Danny McBride's GI Joe film" (https://www.cinemaexpress.com/engli...er-to-play-duke-in-danny-mcbrides-gi-joe-film)
Sources: IndianEconomicObserver — "Bradley Cooper to star as Duke in 'G.I. Joe' reboot from Danny McBride" (https://www.indianeconomicobserver....joe-reboot-from-danny-mcbride20261002122951//)
Bradley Cooper has been cast as Duke in Paramount Pictures' upcoming G.I. Joe reboot, directed by Danny McBride, as reported by Deadline and Variety on October 2, 2026. The film marks a fresh start for the action franchise based on the Hasbro toy line, and it will no longer be linked to the Transformers universe.
Duke — real name Conrad S. Hauser — is the fan-favourite first sergeant and field commander of the Joe team, and Cooper reportedly topped McBride's wish list for the role once the filmmaker boarded the project. The casting was confirmed following recent negotiations.
A reunion and a new direction
The project reunites Cooper and McBride after their collaboration on the HBO comedy series The Righteous Gemstones, which McBride created and starred in. McBride has written the screenplay with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri, and G.I. Joe will be his first major feature-directing effort — a notable shift from his comedy background into big-scale action filmmaking. The film is being produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman for Hasbro Entertainment.
Paramount has confirmed the reboot has been "uncoupled" from the Transformers franchise, ending the crossover plans teased at the end of 2023's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Plot details and further casting remain under wraps, with the studio promising a fresh take on the iconic property.
Cooper's packed slate
The G.I. Joe role lands amid a busy run for Cooper. He is currently in production on an Ocean's Eleven prequel in Europe, which he is directing and starring in alongside Margot Robbie and Monica Barbaro, and he is part of the voice cast of Ally, Bong Joon Ho's first animated film. Despite that schedule, he signed on after a recent meeting with McBride and reading the screenplay. The earlier live-action G.I. Joe films — including the Henry Golding-led Snake Eyes — earned a combined total of around $720 million worldwide.
Sources: Cinema Express — "Bradley Cooper to play Duke in Danny McBride's GI Joe film" (https://www.cinemaexpress.com/engli...er-to-play-duke-in-danny-mcbrides-gi-joe-film)
Sources: IndianEconomicObserver — "Bradley Cooper to star as Duke in 'G.I. Joe' reboot from Danny McBride" (https://www.indianeconomicobserver....joe-reboot-from-danny-mcbride20261002122951//)
