Paramount Pictures and Activision have confirmed that the upcoming Call of Duty film will be set within the franchise's Modern Warfare universe, ending speculation about which era of the game series would anchor its big-screen debut. Director and co-writer Peter Berg revealed the decision at a Call of Duty in Culture panel at Fanatics Fest in New York, alongside co-writer Taylor Sheridan, giving fans their first real clue about the film's likely plot and characters.

Modern Warfare first launched in 2007 with Call of Duty 4, introducing a contemporary setting and now-iconic characters such as Soap, Ghost and Captain Price, along with villain Vladimir Makarov, and has since spanned six mainline games plus a 2019 reboot. Berg did not clarify whether the film will retell existing game storylines or forge new ground within the universe, nor why Modern Warfare was chosen over other sub-series such as Black Ops. The movie is scheduled for release on 30 June 2028, with plot and cast details still unannounced, while the games side continues with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 due out on 23 October 2026.