Call of Duty Movie Won't Be a Mindless Shoot-'Em-Up, Director Promises

Ever worried that a Call of Duty movie would just be two hours of mindless shooting? You're not alone. But director Peter Berg wants to reassure you: the upcoming film, set in the Modern Warfare universe, is aiming for something deeper.

In an interview with ComicBook, Berg explained that the movie will capture the spirit of the games—which means plenty of guns and violence, sure, but also heart and soul. "So Modern Warfare, if you really look at the missions, and the storylines, and the characters—like Captain Price, and Soap, and Ghost, and Alex—these are complicated humans," he said. "These are not—and no disrespect—cartoon characters or comic books. These are very nuanced storylines; like, there's a real soul to the Modern Warfare universe."

And yes, there's violence, hardware, equipment, and killing—but underneath it all, Berg believes the game is really about "the cost of war, the cost of having to be a warrior who's, for whatever reason, chosen to put himself between real danger and the rest of us, and the burden that these guys carry." That's heavy stuff, and Berg says it demands a movie that respects it. "This is not just 'Hey, let's shoot them all up and shoot popcorn!' Like, there's a soul underneath it," he added.

Helping bring that soul to the screen is writer Taylor Sheridan, who Berg says understands this balance perfectly. "There will be a very strong soul, and consequence of war within the film, called 'duty,'" Berg teased. Sheridan's pedigree certainly fits: he wrote Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, and created the TV show Lioness. Berg himself has tackled real-world tragedy before, directing Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day—so he knows a thing or two about telling stories with weight.

The Call of Duty movie is set for release in June 2028. It's in the works at David Ellison's Skydance, which recently acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, and it will hit theaters. Meanwhile, the latest game, Modern Warfare 4, just launched on October 23. And if that's not enough, a Battlefield movie is also in development with major talent attached.

So, what do you think? Are you excited for a Call of Duty movie that aims for the heart as much as the trigger? Let us know in the comments!