Activision and Paramount recently confirmed that the Call of Duty movie will be based on the Modern Warfare games. While I understand why that was chosen for the film adaptation, it’s proof to me that the Call of Duty franchise will keep retreading the same ideas for the foreseeable future.
This announcement came out of Fanatics Fest on July 18, when director Peter Berg appeared during a “Call of Duty in Culture” panel. He name-dropped characters like Captain Price, Soap, Gaz, Alex Keller, General Shepherd, and Ghost, so it seems like the film will use elements from the games that players are familiar with. Modern Warfare is one of Call of Duty’s most popular sub-series, so it’s not that shocking that Paramount went in this direction for its adaptation.
While I’m not surprised the adaptation is connected to Modern Warfare, this reveal has quelled my excitement for the project. At this point, I’m burned out by the fact that eight of the past nine Call of Duty games have been entries in the Modern Warfare or Black Ops sub-series. While each title has a unique campaign and its own distinct gameplay tweaks, each new release feels less memorable or distinct when they come out so close to each other.
I know I’m not alone in feeling that way. Activision clearly was disappointed by the mixed response to Black Ops 7 and announced plans to stop releasing games in the same sub-series back-to-back. I had hoped that this would inspire the company to move beyond its most recycled Call of Duty brands. Unfortunately, the announcement of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and this movie’s connection to that sub-series indicate that Activision is too afraid to do so.
In the short term, I suspect this first movie could succeed by capitalizing on the fandom surrounding Modern Warfare. Over time, though, I think it’ll sink in for more people that each new Modern Warfare release, movie or game, is a little less special than the last.
This Call of Duty movie is set for release in theaters on June 30, 2028.