Director Peter Berg says Paramount’s “Call of Duty” movie will treat soldiers as damaged humans, not superheroes, and will keep its distance from the comic book blockbuster formula. Berg described his approach in an interview with ComicBook. He is directing from a script by Taylor Sheridan.
He pointed to the “Modern Warfare” cast of Captain Price, Soap, Ghost and Alex as complicated people with real soul. “These are not, and no disrespect, cartoon characters or comic books,” he said. The film will include violence and hardware, Berg said, but the story centers on what combat costs the people who carry it out.
Paramount has released no plot details and no cast. The studio set a June 30, 2028 release date at CinemaCon. That weekend puts the film opposite “Dynamic Duo,” a stop-motion Batman spinoff, two weeks after Pixar’s “Incredibles 3.” Berg’s pitch lands in the middle of a superhero-heavy calendar.
The tone marks a clear break from earlier plans. In 2016, Activision Blizzard Studios executives described a “Marvel-esque” cinematic universe with a first film targeted for 2018. That slate never reached theaters. The new project instead follows the “Modern Warfare” storyline, which began in 2007 as the franchise’s first break from its World War II setting.
Berg is leaning on his track record with military dramas. His credits include “Lone Survivor,” and his new film “The Mosquito Bowl” recently premiered at AFI Fest. He said the “Call of Duty” film will be less graphically violent than that picture, while still examining the responsibilities soldiers bear. Berg has also said he and Sheridan have deep ties to the special operations community.
The timing helps the studio. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4” reached stores October 23, keeping the franchise in front of its audience. Reports suggest Paramount’s deal could cover additional films and television projects. Supporters of the approach argue the series never relied on superpowers. Skeptics can point to the franchise’s long record of bombastic set pieces, which sit uneasily beside a somber war drama.
