Five collaborations we want to see in Call of Duty in 2024
This year is set to be one of the best ever for films and TV series, after gaming stole the show in 2023 amid the writer's strikes, with the industry recovering with some massive titles.
But the two worlds often combine as Call of Duty eyes each and every footstep on Hollywood Boulevard in search of its next collaboration, partnering to bring characters from beloved franchises into a war zone.
So, with many massive entrances to TV and film this year, and Call of Duty's habit of creating crossovers with new releases (like The Boys, Dune, and The Walking Dead), we've picked out five collaborations that need to happen as we enter the twilight half of Modern Warfare 3 and steer towards Black Ops Gulf War.
You won't find pop icons in this list, no Nicki Minaj wannabes or the next Kevin Durant, and you definitely won't find some giant beasts ravaging each other in a barbaric film series, but rather some humane characters that could easily pick up arms and camp in a corner of Urzikstan.
Anywho, here are our choices for five crossovers that we want to see come to Call of Duty in 2024.
Joker
Click to enlargeLet's kick things off with a crossover which would slip right into the trajectory of Call of Duty (sorry Mil-sim gang, we'll have more for you later), as in anticipation of Joker: Folie a Deux this October, a crossover would be the perfect opportunity for Activision to add colour, sass, and tragedy into an Operator skin without being overly-corny.
Already, Lady Gaga is penned in to arrive in Fortnite, showing her connection with the gaming universe is blossoming, so why not dabble in Call of Duty too to bring forth Harley Quinn and Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Arthur Fleck?
We already know that the crazed villain has a proclivity for pyrotechnics and gunfire, and this collaboration could round off Modern Warfare 3 nicely, or even serve as the first of (presumably) many Halloween-themed skins to arrive in Black Ops Gulf War in October.
Mad Max
Click to enlargeNext on our bucket list is Mad Max, whose series is set for a thrilling monologue entrance with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga this year.
Not only could this collaboration fit perfectly into Warzone, given the usage of off-road vehicles, but skins for Furiosa and Max Rockatansky could easily be warped into something suitable for Call of Duty.
Both characters have minimalistic appearances, aside from Max's signature mask, where the skins would be seamless to put amongst other war-torn characters, let alone among the wackier ones that we've had so far.
Plus, anything with Tom Hardy and Anya Taylor-Joy would be easily lapped up by fans.
Fallout
Click to enlargeMuch like the upcoming Warhammer 40K skins that have been leaked for Modern Warfare 3, Fallout's beefy units could easily match the tone of the Call of Duty franchise.
The heavy-armour characters reflect Juggernauts in the series and would quite comfortably slip into both down-sized multiplayer and Warzone skins or be used exclusively in the expected Jug-enhanced game mode, doubling as a skin for the killstreak.
What makes this arguably the most feasible from the list is that Fallout's parent company is now in-laws to the Call of Duty owners after Microsoft's back-to-back studio acquisitions have placed Bethesda and Activision among the same family.
The only thing stopping this collaboration, ahead of Fallout's venture to other media with its official series coming in 2024, would be Halo's Master Chief.
Gladiator
Click to enlargeHere's one that might tick the boxes for all Call of Duty titans, as Maximus Decimus Meridius' signature look in Gladiator would be quite appropriate for the shooter series, especially when his helmet is being donned before the iconic "I will have my vengeance" line.
Both the lightly-armoured look and the plain-faced Russel Crowe outfits would work as Call of Duty skins, replicating a somewhat mil-sim look while still capturing that Hollywood glow that Activision loves to sprinkle in its games.
While it might be some task to get Crowe to re-film the voice lines in the same capacity though, the crossover could now focus on the sequel planned to release in 2024 too, where Paul Mescal is pinned to be playing Maximus' son Lucius, alongside Saltburn's Barry Keoghan and TLOU's Pedro Pascal.
Nothing would appease us more than to see Gladiator's double-sword finishing move be followed by a "Are you not entertained" quip.
Ghostbusters
Click to enlargeOur final shout of the 2024 Call of Duty crossovers bucket list is arguably the most far-fetched but could be a stroke of genius for the series with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire landing later this year too.
This might fall under the Black Ops Gulf War game, granted, given Ghostbusters' December release window, but given how Modern Warfare 3 has progressed the way crossovers work, the Wonderweapon-wielding paranormal slayers could be perfect for Call of Duty's next game.
Treyarch's Zombie-heavy game could be the most befitting title in years for Call of Duty to try and collaborate with Ghostbusters, where the undead could be a new kind of foe for the squad, who could boast the newly adapted red jackets of the promo art as they unleash hell - or at least captivate it into the Ghost Trap.
Sledgehammer Games has also implemented Vortex as a game mode this year, which sees players fight for control of a Wonderweapon (Ray Gun) on a re-skinned map. So why not take this, swap out the Ray Gun for a Wonderwaffe blueprint in the form of a "Neutrona Wand", and re-skin a map to a "Frozen Empire"?
Special Mention - Umbrella Academy
Click to enlargeA final thought goes out to Umbrella Academy, whose fourth and final season will be airing this August, and opens up the possibility of seeing more skins added to the Call of Duty series after its original Vanguard entrance.
Weirdly, the previous collaboration didn't showcase anyone actually in the Umbrella Academy, and rather the trained assassins of Cha Cha and Hazel.
Maybe a renewed partnership could bring forth a reactive Viktor Hargreaves or Number Five skin, both of which could even lean into some form of Supe'd Up event again where superpowers are reflected in a Limited Time Game Mode akin to how The Boys was handled.
Or Pogo, if CoD really needs a King Kong-esque character...
