Activision is taking pointers from Marvel for its ‘Call of Duty’ movie blitz

By Steven Petite April 5, 2017

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Activision wants its upcoming string of Call of Duty films to have a Marvel Cinematic Universe vibe.

Speaking with The Guardian, Activision Blizzard Studios co-president Nick van Dyk claimed that the movies will not be literal adaptations of the games, but they will keep the high-octane aesthetics the series is known for. “It’s a much more broad and inclusive, global in scope … a big, tentpole Marvel-esque movie,” he said.

Van Dyk knows a thing or two about the Marvel universe, which could help make this goal into reality. He was previously a senior executive at Disney who worked on both Marvel and Star Wars projects.

The “cinematic universe” sentiments line up with what was said in 2015 when the proposed series of Call of Duty films were revealed. Only now we know that Activision seems to be using the Marvel model as a guideline.

The films and potential television properties will include “individual universes that interconnect and a timeline that makes sense with consistent themes and Easter eggs,” similar to the structure of Marvel’s films.

In the new interview, van Dyk and fellow co-president Stacey Sher claimed that multiple scripts have already been written.

“There’ll be a film that feels more like Black Ops, the story behind the story. The Modern Warfare series looks at what it’s like to fight a war with the eyes of the world on you. And then maybe something that is more of a hybrid, where you are looking at private, covert operations, while a public operation is going on,” Sher said.

Sher brings extensive experience with successful films to the table as well. She served as a producer on a trio of Quentin Tarantino films: Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight.

A currently unknown “many” number of films have been plotted, with the first expected to hit theaters in 2018. As for a television series, the duo said that Activision is looking at World War II or Vietnam-based stories.

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Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III trailer teases a No Russian reimagining

No Russian's reimagining in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

Activision Blizzard has fully pulled back the curtain on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III following an in-game event in its predecessor. This came alongside new gameplay that concludes by teasing a rebooted version of the series' infamous No Russian mission.
The gameplay trailer focuses on the campaign missions, which got a lot more detail in a post on the game's website. It affirms that the game follows Task Force 141 as they take on Vladimir Makarov and will feature some "Open Combat Missions" that give players multiple ways to complete objectives. The gameplay seems to mainly feature a stealthy run to one of these levels. Of course, the trailer's most shocking moment comes at the end.
Gameplay Reveal Trailer | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
We see Makarov text someone "No Russian," before they pull out a gun on a crowded plane. If you don't remember, No Russian was one of the original Modern Warfare II's most infamous missions, as it had players partake in a mass shooting terrorist attack at an airport with Russians. The level has influenced the tone of this rebooted Modern Warfare series, and it now looks like Modern Warfare III is set to reimagine this mission in some way, following up the Modern Warfare II post-credit scene that referenced it.

While the trailer focused on the campaign mainly, that post confirmed a lot of new info on multiplayer and Modern Warfare Zombies too. Its multiplayer features all 16 launch maps from 2009's Modern Warfare II, two larger Battle maps for Ground War and Invasion, and an even bigger War map for the return of the War Mode introduced in Call of Duty: WWII. Map voting returns, so you can have a say in where you want to play a match. Finally, Activision says Modern Warfare Zombies takes place in a new open world where players will fight Dark Aether Zombies, complete missions, and incorporate Extraction game elements.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III launches on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on November 10.

Gaming

Activision teases Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s biggest improvements

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These details were all revealed in a new blog post posted on the series' website ahead of the in-game event that will give us our first in-depth look at Modern Warfare II. In it, Activision clears up a lot of rumors about the game to try and show that Modern Warfare III is still an "incredible, premium annual game experience across Campaign, Multiplayer and Co-operative modes" despite reportedly starting development as a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II expansion.
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Gaming

Does Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have Hardcore mode?

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 guy with a gun

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players have access to a wide variety of multiplayer game modes including Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, and the new Prisoner Capture. One of the most popular modes in the series is Hardcore, which has been in the series for years. This intense mode removes the HUD and increases damage across the board. But does this mode appear in the new Modern Warfare 2?

Here's what you need to know about the Hardcore mode in Modern Warfare 2.
Does Modern Warfare 2 have a Hardcore mode?
When Modern Warfare 2 first launched, it didn't have a Hardcode mode, much to the disappointment of fans. Instead, the game had a mode called Tier 1, which was basically a rudimentary version of Hardcore mode, with some missing features. For instance, there's no HUD, whatsoever, no hitmarkers, and no killfeed, which made the mode hard to actually play in some cases. Thankfully, Activision finally did add Hardcore more at the start of 2023, replacing the Tier 1 mode from before.
What is Hardcore mode?