Bradley Cooper is officially joining the G.I. Joe universe, with the Oscar-nominated actor set to portray Duke in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming film based on the popular Hasbro franchise.
Danny McBride is attached to direct the untitled project, working from a screenplay he co-wrote alongside Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri. While details about the storyline remain undisclosed, Cooper will take on the role of Duke, the leader of the G.I. Joe team. Channing Tatum previously played the character in 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its 2013 follow-up, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
The new film will mark Paramount’s return to the military action franchise, which revolves around iconic characters such as Duke, Snake Eyes, and Roadblock as they battle Cobra, a notorious organization led by villains including Cobra Commander, Baroness, Destro, and Zartan.
The project is reportedly a major focus for Paramount as the studio continues investing in established franchises. Cooper’s casting as the lead in what is expected to be an ensemble production could indicate that G.I. Joe is making significant progress toward production.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, and Zev Foreman of Hasbro Entertainment are attached as producers.
The upcoming film also marks a relatively uncommon franchise role for Cooper, whose recent projects have primarily involved films where he has played a major role behind the camera. He portrayed Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, which he also directed and co-wrote, before taking on similar responsibilities for Is This Thing On?, serving as its co-writer, director, and star.
However, Cooper is no stranger to major franchises. He previously voiced Rocket across Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films and made a cameo appearance in James Gunn’s Superman.
The G.I. Joe project will also see Cooper reunite with McBride, following his previous appearance in an episode of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones.
