Bradley Cooper Cast in the New G.I. Joe Movie

The new "G.I. Joe" movie, directed by Danny McBride, has found its first lead actor. According to Deadline magazine, Bradley Cooper has been cast in the action blockbuster. Cooper is set to play the role of Duke in the as-yet-untitled film, one of the most famous characters from the "G.I. Joe" universe. Duke is the leader of the "G.I. Joe" team and is traditionally at the center of their military missions.

However, for a long time it was unclear whether Cooper would even be available for the film. The actor currently has a busy schedule and is working, among other projects, on an upcoming "Ocean's" prequel, in which he will star alongside Margot Robbie. He will also be directing the film. Apparently, though, the script for the new "G.I. Joe" adventure impressed Cooper so much that he ultimately decided to take on the lead role.

Details on the Plot of G.I. Joe

Although Paramount has so far been tight-lipped about specific plot details, Danny McBride hinted on Josh Horowitz's "Happy Sad Confused" podcast at the general direction the story will take. The story is set in Springfield, a town that, despite its unassuming name, has a lot going on – because apparently, the town has been secretly infiltrated by Cobra. Together with his team, Duke must now confront the terrorist organization. According to McBride, we can expect a grounded take on the material:

"It's not a comedy. It's like kind of suspense and action and I think it's going to be a lot of fun."

According to McBride, filming could begin as early as next year. However, there is no release date yet. Less encouraging, however, is the news that the highly anticipated "G.I. Joe x Transformers" project at Paramount is now a thing of the past. In the past, there were plans for a joint film featuring the two Hasbro franchises. Instead, the new "G.I. Joe" movie is set to be produced independently and will serve as a reimagining of the series.

Here's how G.I. Joe has fared at the box office so far

The "G.I. Joe" franchise has been around for decades. In addition to the famous action figures that first saw the light of day in the 1960s, fans have also enjoyed animated series and comics. The franchise has also made it to the big screen several times. In 2009, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra", directed by Stephen Sommers, was released.

The film was panned by critics but featured a star-studded cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sienna Miller, Jonathan Pryce, Rachel Nichols, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Lee Byung-hun, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid, and the aforementioned Channing Tatum. The film grossed $302 million at the global box office.

Four years later, the sequel managed to top that figure: "G.I. Joe: Retaliation", directed by Jon M. Chu, grossed $375 million worldwide. The popular action stars Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis, who joined the cast this time around, certainly contributed to that success. However, this installment of the series didn't receive overly positive reviews either. Fans had to wait until 2021 for another film to be released: "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins".

There was another change in the director's chair: this time, Robert Schwentke was in charge of directing. Reviews were mixed, but at the box office, the film – starring Henry Golding – turned out to be a flop. With a worldwide gross of just 40 million, "Snake Eyes" fell far short of expectations. It will be interesting to see if Danny McBride's new take on the franchise will be more successful.