Paramount has found the man who will lead its latest attempt to turn G.I. Joe back into a major theatrical franchise.
Bradley Cooper has been cast as Duke in director Danny McBride’s upcoming G.I. Joe movie, putting the five-time acting Oscar nominee at the center of another reboot built around a familiar Hollywood property.
G.I. Joe Title Card – Hasbro
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According to Deadline, Cooper was at the top of McBride’s wish list for the role. The actor initially wasn’t sure whether his schedule would allow him to participate, but reportedly committed after reading the screenplay and meeting with McBride.
The two already have some history together.
Cooper appeared in the final season premiere of McBride’s HBO series The Righteous Gemstones, playing Civil War-era con man Elijah Gemstone in an unusually dramatic episode that largely abandoned the show’s regular cast.
Now McBride is trusting him with Duke.
Cooper Returns to Military Action
There is certainly precedent for putting Cooper in fatigues.
He played Templeton “Face” Peck alongside Liam Neeson, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Sharlto Copley in 2010’s The A-Team. The movie failed to launch the franchise 20th Century Fox hoped for, but Cooper proved comfortable handling the combination of military action and larger-than-life characters.
Bradley Cooper in the A-Team – 20th Century Studios, YouTube
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He later received an Academy Award nomination for playing Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper.
Still, Cooper’s casting has already sparked some debate among G.I. Joe fans.
At 51, Cooper is considerably older than some of the actors fans have suggested for Duke, particularly Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters star Glen Powell. Some reactions have questioned whether casting an actor in his 50s makes sense if Paramount hopes to build another long-running franchise around Duke.
Glen is 37, Duke is not running around the trenches at 51! Bad call Ripley! Powell is your DUKE! pic.twitter.com/wF9rjRPWJN
— Colhauser (@colhauser) October 1, 2026
Others have pointed to Cooper’s acting ability and action experience as reasons to give the choice a chance. Cooper has accumulated five acting Oscar nominations across films including Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, American Sniper, A Star Is Born, and Maestro.
If McBride wants an older, seasoned Duke rather than another fresh-faced action hero, Cooper could fit that interpretation surprisingly well.
McBride Says G.I. Joe Won’t Be a Comedy
Cooper’s casting also arrives as McBride prepares for his feature directorial debut.
Despite McBride being best known for comedies including Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, and The Righteous Gemstones, he has repeatedly stressed that audiences should not expect his G.I. Joe to become a parody.
As That Park Place previously reported, McBride described the project as a suspenseful action film centered on Duke and several other Joes.
G.I. Joe – Hasbro
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“You’re following Duke and a group of other Joe’s,” McBride explained. “There’s that town in the comics, Springfield, which is a town that’s secretly all Cobra. And so that is where our film takes place.”
That premise potentially gives Paramount something more focused than simply attempting another sprawling introduction to its collection of action figures.
Can Paramount Make G.I. Joe Work This Time?
The larger question is whether audiences are interested in yet another attempt to revive G.I. Joe.
Channing Tatum previously played Duke in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, while 2021’s Snake Eyes attempted another restart without producing a sequel. Paramount’s planned G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover has also now been abandoned.
Cooper and McBride bring considerably more creative credibility than another reboot might ordinarily command. But Hollywood is hardly suffering from a shortage of revived franchises, legacy properties, and 1980s nostalgia.
Paramount has assembled an unexpectedly interesting team. Now McBride and Cooper have to demonstrate that G.I. Joe has something new to offer moviegoers beyond another familiar name returning to theaters.
What do you think of Bradley Cooper as Duke in Paramount’s new G.I. Joe Movie? Sound off and let us know!
