Summary

Captain Price, Ghost, and Soap are core, iconic leaders ideal for a live-action team.
Vladimir Makarov and Raul Menendez make ideal franchise villains - dangerous, personal.
Adapt Black Ops with Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Jason Hudson for a tense spy tale.

Call of Duty is the titan of the first-person shooter genre, spanning more than two decades since its inception and delivering annual releases year after year. With countless storylines told through its Campaigns and a wide variety of Multiplayer experiences, the series has certainly stood the test of time.

Although Call of Duty is first and foremost a video game franchise, Paramount has officially struck a deal with Microsoft and Activision to develop a Call of Duty movie. While not much is known about the project just yet, this live-action adaptation has the potential to be a blast if it delivers a strong plot and brings in some of the series’ most iconic characters. Here are just some of the characters the Call of Duty movie must include.

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By John Bonelli

This article will contain spoilers for several Call of Duty Campaigns and potentially Paramount's Call of Duty movie. Proceed with caution!

Captain John Price

"History is Written by the Victor, and History is Filled with Liars."

When it comes to characters that should appear in a Call of Duty movie, none are as iconic as Captain John Price. Price first appeared in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as the Captain of the 22nd SAS Regiment before later becoming the leader of Task Force 141. While there are two versions of Price across the Call of Duty series, both stand out as excellent characters thanks to their strong call to action, stoicism, iconic one-liners, and well-developed personalities.

Captain John Price is the definition of an admirable leader and would easily serve as one of the most compelling characters in a Call of Duty movie. Mix in a few of his memorable one-liners from the games, place him at the front and center of Task Force 141 in a live-action adaptation, and you have a character that fans can both root for and rally behind.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

"Be Careful Who You Trust, Sergeant. People You Know Can Hurt You The Most."

If the storyline of Modern Warfare serves as the basis for a live-action Call of Duty movie, then Simon "Ghost" Riley absolutely deserves a prominent role in the story. Ghost is a member of the British Special Forces, fighting alongside Price and Soap in Task Force 141 across a range of missions throughout both the original Modern Warfare trilogy and its rebooted series.

What makes Simon "Ghost" Riley such a compelling character is his cutthroat personality combined with the fact that players have never actually seen his face in-game. His past is rather cloudy in the context of the games, adding an air of mystery to his persona. With his shoot-first, ask-questions-later approach paired with a touch of humor, Ghost would be a fantastic character to bring to life on the big screen.

John "Soap" MacTavish

"What the Hell Kind of Name is Soap?"

John "Soap" MacTavish is easily one of the most recognizable characters that long-time Call of Duty fans would love to see on the big screen. First introduced as the rookie of Task Force 141 and the first playable character in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Soap plays a pivotal role throughout the original trilogy’s story.

Soap embodies the definition of a loyal soldier, always fighting for what’s right and standing by his comrades when things get tough. Just like in the games, Soap would be the perfect character to help launch the story of a Call of Duty movie. Add in banter with Ghost, and you have an iconic duo practically made for the big screen.

Vladimir Makarov

“Revenge is Like a Ghost. It Takes Over Every Man it Touches.”

A Call of Duty movie needs a strong antagonist, and while Imran Zakhaev would be an excellent choice for an adaptation of the first Modern Warfare game, the perfect big bad for a sequel has to be Vladimir Makarov. Makarov is easily one of the best villains in the entire Call of Duty series, a character who can truly raise the stakes for a groundbreaking story.

Vladimir Makarov is one of the few villains who has proven to be a global threat in the Call of Duty universe. His ultimate goal is to frame the United States and ignite a large-scale conflict with Russia, pushing the world to the edge of another World War. With a personal vendetta against Price and a ruthless disregard for human life, Vladimir Makarov may be the most terrifying villain Paramount could use to launch an entire series of Call of Duty movies. However, he is a character that they should not waste too early in the first installment.

Alex Mason

“I Don’t Know Anything About Any Numbers!”

The members of Task Force 141 are some of the most iconic characters in the Call of Duty franchise. However, if Paramount decides to stick closer to the current canon of the games, then starting with the Black Ops storyline might be the better approach. If that’s the case, one character who absolutely needs to be in the movie is Alex Mason, who made his debut in the original Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Alex Mason would bring a unique way to tell the story in a live-action adaptation of the first Black Ops game, thanks to the mind-altering MKUltra experiments that turned him into a sleeper agent for the Soviets, with the ultimate goal of assassinating President John F. Kennedy. With Alex at the center of the plot, a Black Ops movie could easily become a gripping psychological thriller packed with suspense.

Frank Woods

“They’ll Always Need Men Like Us. Those Who Are Willing to Do What Others Cannot.”

Keeping with the possibility that Paramount's Call of Duty movie does, in fact, adapt the Black Ops saga, another character that definitely needs to feature in the movie is Frank Woods. Though Woods has taken a backseat in the current storyline, reducing him to more of a side character, especially in Black Ops 6, his earlier appearances in both Black Ops and Black Ops 2 are definitely the most memorable.

Frank Woods is definitely one of the most likable characters in the Call of Duty series. He's witty with a somewhat cynical sense of humor, leading to some pretty great one-liners. However, through and through, he is a true soldier and survivor with a strong sense of duty that viewers can rally behind. On top of all that, seeing his personality bounce off Alex Mason, particularly in their earlier deployments to Vietnam, would be great to see.

Raul Menendez

“To Those You Serve, Your Life Means Nothing!”

Raul Menendez is the perfect villain for a Call of Duty movie, though preferably not one that is wasted in the very first one. Just like Vladimir Makarov, Paramount should play its cards right and have Menendez serve as the big bad for potential sequels, one that can easily lurk in the background and be built up in some of the earlier movies.

Raul Menendez is one of the most terrifying and well-written villains in Call of Duty, mainly because his story is filled with tragedy and vengeance. He is also a relatable antagonist with legitimate motives, with the loss of his sister fueling his hatred and personal vendetta against Woods, Hudson, and Mason in the events of Black Ops 2. However, rest assured that he is equally evil and terrifying, being one of the most clever and ruthless villains the trio has ever faced.

Jason Hudson

“The Numbers, Mason! What Do They Mean?”

If Alex Mason and Woods are integral characters that should appear in Paramount's Call of Duty movie, then Jason Hudson is a fitting character to complete the trio. First seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops, Hudson is the very character who interrogates Alex Mason during the events of the original Black Ops in an effort to uncover the truth behind the numbers stations and the plans of Nikita Dragovich.

It is through Jason Hudson's interrogations that the events of the first game are revealed, with many of the missions being Mason's recollection of events while under questioning. Later in the series, Hudson remains an integral character, particularly in the conflict with Raul Menendez, making his appearance in a live-action adaptation essential.

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