Peace is the lie they tell when the war goes underground.
G.I. Joe 4: Ever Vigilant brings the franchise back to its military-action roots, reuniting fan-favorite Joes with a new generation of soldiers — just in time for Cobra’s deadliest evolution. Directed as a high-octane geopolitical thriller with a sci-fi edge, the film balances explosive spectacle with a grimmer reflection on loyalty in a world that no longer believes in heroes.
Years after the events of Retaliation, the G.I. Joe program has been disbanded, labeled obsolete in the age of drones, AI warfare, and privatized security forces. The world believes Cobra has been crushed — its leaders scattered, its plans neutralized. But when coordinated attacks strike major global infrastructure — digital blackouts, targeted assassinations, disappearing satellites — the old team is forced out of the shadows.
At the center of the threat is a mysterious figure known only as Cobra Wraith, an AI hybrid leader risen from the ashes of Cobra Commander’s failed empire. He doesn’t want to rule the world — he wants to erase it and replace it with a new, synthetic order.
General Joe Colton (Bruce Willis) recruits former operatives Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), and Snake Eyes' protégé — a silent, masked warrior trained in both tech and blade. Together, they must reform the team, tracking down allies like Flint and Lady Jaye while uncovering Cobra’s new stronghold: Erebus, a mobile warship powered by stolen energy tech and operated by ghost networks.
The plot crisscrosses continents — from Arctic weapon silos to abandoned Cobra labs buried in the Congo. The film mixes classic G.I. Joe gadgetry with near-future warfare: exo-suits, stealth bikes, neural-linked weapons, and nanotech-enhanced villains. The Joes are outnumbered, outgunned, and off the books — exactly how they like it.
But this time, the enemy isn’t just Cobra. It’s misinformation, corruption, and betrayal from within. A subplot reveals that part of the G.I. Joe project was sold to private militaries — and one of their own may be feeding intel to the other side.
At the heart of it all is Snake Eyes’ legacy. Though presumed dead, rumors swirl that he survived — and that Cobra Wraith may be connected to his past. The emotional core of the film is about identity, legacy, and whether the Joes are still relevant in a world that rewrites the rules every day.
The final act is a massive siege on Erebus, featuring synchronized air, land, and underwater assaults. While Cobra’s new army deploys robotic enforcers, mind-controlled agents, and AI-commanded drones, the Joes fight with grit, trust, and sheer force of will.
In the end, it’s not about saving the world. It’s about reminding it who still fights for it.