Call of Duty almost made its own cinematic universe in 2017, but that dream never became reality.
Written by: Nilendu
Reviewed by: Rishabh
One of the unstoppable forces in gaming, the Call of Duty franchise, has repeatedly indicated interest in a motion picture adaptation. However, this hasn’t happened for a variety of reasons. Call of Duty doesn’t really need the money; the name of the brand is still valuable after decades of occasionally disparaging entries, and Black Ops 6 and Warzone‘s success has given it a lot of appeal now. The adaptation has been in limbo, though, and that doesn’t change that.
There is still interest in stories to be told in the gritty space that the series occupies, even though recent games have abandoned the narrative components that initially helped drive the series. Specifically, there have been long-running rumors about a possible film. Call of Duty has never received the Hollywood treatment, despite the fact that the series has produced a number of live-action commercials and that some of its campaigns have been derided as interactive films. However, the game never made its entry on the silver screen.
Call of Duty was about to make a movie
There were aspirations for various projects that could be started under the Call of Duty name when the series started to gain popularity. There were plans for an RTS (Call of Duty: Tactics), comic books and graphic novels, and, of course, movies, just like its rival in the Halo series at the same time.
Many people are unaware that the Call of Duty video game series nearly had its own cinematic universe akin to Marvel. In 2017, Activision executives discussed the company’s efforts to expand the Call of Duty brand and launch its own movie universe before the release of a new game set in WWII. Executives claimed to be planning COD lore over the years, and several scripts were being developed at the time.
Although there haven’t been any official updates on the possible cinematic universe in recent years, the rumor that the director of the Sicario sequel Day of the Soldado might be involved was the closest fans and moviegoers got to a legitimate Call of Duty film.
A “flexible approach” and the desire to take “as many creative liberties” as possible to separate the film from the games were among the “radical ideas” that director Stefano Sollima discussed in 2015 regarding the creation of the COD movie and the game’s source material. The movie was officially put on hold in 2020 for “internal reasons.”
The rumored involvement of former Superman Henry Cavill in the canceled COD movie is another interesting fact. Most notably, Cavill was accused of causing too much fan excitement by playing the mustached Captain Price, a crucial character that appears throughout the Call of Duty games.
Is Call of Duty looking to make a movie based on its own universe?
There have been rumors, much like plans for the Warcraft movie adaptation that slid in and out of development for a few years. Around the end of Call of Duty’s heyday in 2015, press releases and other materials specifically claimed that plans were underway for “a robust cinematic universe” that would include “a series of…feature films as well as the possibility of television adaptations.” There may have been plans to adapt their campaigns for the big screen, as this press material included the names of some of the most well-known entries from the series.
That’s a shame because, as previously stated, some of Call of Duty‘s campaigns could make for excellent movie adaptations. These games have given rise to some of the most memorable moments in gaming history. It would also be incredible to witness sequences similar to those in the first three Modern Warfare films, particularly those involving the Black Ops cast.
But it would take a lot of resources, like patience and goodwill, which Activision-Blizzard doesn’t seem to have much of these days. The funding is undoubtedly there, but it would take a lot to get it right, as demonstrated by the numerous failures of the Halo series, nearly every Resident Evil adaptation, and many others. Nevertheless, it’s worth a shot, much like the hardline antics of its protagonists.
It’s still good to know that executives were and are interested in making a Call of Duty movie, even though fans will have to wait for more information or confirmation of this. For devoted shooter game fans, it will be intriguing to see a legitimate COD movie as we continue to be blessed with more video game adaptations for television and the big screen.
