Bradley Cooper will lead the Joes: star to play Duke in Danny McBride's reboot

Bradley Cooper has been cast as Duke, one of the best-known faces of the G.I. Joe universe, in the franchise's new film being developed by Paramount with Hasbro. The news broke Wednesday (Oct. 1) in the U.S. trade press.

The film will be directed by Danny McBride, creator of 'The Righteous Gemstones,' who co-wrote the script with Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri. Despite the filmmaker's comedy résumé, the project is described as a reimagining of the brand focused on suspense and action with a large ensemble; according to reports, the story centers on Springfield, the town secretly controlled by Cobra.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Zev Foreman are producing. With this move, the previously planned G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover is no longer in development. No release date has been officially announced.