PLASTIQ NEWS | ENTERTAINMENT & POP Culture
Paramount Pictures is taking another shot at bringing G.I. Joe back to the big screen, officially scheduling its next theatrical installment for October 20, 2028. Bradley Cooper is set to portray Duke, while Danny McBride will direct and co-write the film. Longtime franchise producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is also returning.
McBride has described the upcoming project as an action-suspense story involving a Springfield under Cobra’s control, suggesting a potentially different direction for the franchise.
But after years of disappointing theatrical outings, longtime G.I. Joe fans have every reason to remain skeptical.
From 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra to 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Paramount has struggled to capture the spirit of Hasbro’s legendary military action franchise. Despite recognizable characters and substantial Hollywood budgets, neither film fully delivered the G.I. Joe experience many longtime collectors and fans had hoped for.
Then came 2021’s Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, arguably the franchise’s biggest cinematic disappointment. What should have been an opportunity to explore one of G.I. Joe’s most iconic characters instead became another example of Hollywood losing sight of the source material.
With Lorenzo di Bonaventura returning as producer, questions remain about whether Paramount has truly learned from its previous mistakes.
Plastiq News Final Word — By Alexander Storm
Let’s be clear: G.I. Joe deserves better.
After several disappointing outings from Paramount, and with Lorenzo di Bonaventura being, in my opinion, one of the worst creative influences associated with the cinematic franchise, the G.I. Joe fandom is understandably holding its breath.
I think we can all agree that Snake Eyes was one of the worst offerings in the franchise’s theatrical history. It completely missed what made the character special and failed to respect much of the mythology that fans have embraced for decades.
So what hope do we have this time?
How badly can di Bonaventura destroy G.I. Joe again?
Wait. Don’t answer that.
Maybe Bradley Cooper and Danny McBride can bring something fresh to the table. Maybe Paramount will finally understand that G.I. Joe doesn’t need to be reinvented beyond recognition.
It needs compelling storytelling, recognizable characters, Cobra as a legitimate threat, and filmmakers who understand why generations of fans still love this property.
The ingredients for a great G.I. Joe movie have always been there. Hollywood just needs to stop getting in its own way.
Maybe, just maybe, they get it right this time.
And knowing is half the battle.
