Call of Duty season 1

Call of Duty
Season 1
Promotional poster
Showrunner	Freddie Goodwin
Starring	Barry Sloane Elliot Knight Samuel Roukin Neil Ellice
Release
Original network	HBO Max

The first season of the American television series Call of Duty is based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Daredevil. It sees Task Force 141, led by Cpt. John Price (Barry Sloane), Sergeant Kyle "Gaz" Garrick (Elliot Knight), Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley (Samuel Roukin), and Sergeant John "Soap" MacTavish (Neil Ellice). The season is produced by Activision, Mob Productions, and SOI Studios, with Freddie Goodwin as showrunner.

Barry Sloane reprises his role as Cpt. John Price from the video game rebooted sub-series Modern Warfare (2019–present), and is joined by Elliot Knight, Samuel Roukin, and Neil Ellice. Development on the season began in September 2022, following "Call of Duty NEXT" that aired that same month. Filming began in March 2023 and concluded in August 2023. Following completion, Goodwin announced that the season would consist of eight episodes.

The first season is scheduled to premiere on HBO Max on January 16, 2026, and will consist of eight episodes. A second season is in early development.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Bravo Six, Going Dark"	David Benioff	Freddie Goodwin Story by: Ava DuVernay	January 16, 2026 (2026-01-16)
In northern Syria, Captain John Price leads an unsanctioned nighttime raid on a desert compound believed to be connected to Hassan al-Rahim's expanding network, despite objections from British command representative Major Marcus Calder, who insists the operation remain non-lethal without confirmed identification. As Price and Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick observe the compound, Calder warns that London will not authorize escalation, prompting Price to proceed independently under radio silence. The task force breaches the site and neutralizes multiple hostile personnel, but the suspected target escapes, revealing the operation to be a deliberate diversion rather than a failure of timing. While extracting intelligence from a hidden server room, the team uncovers extensive financial routing, shell companies, and encrypted transfers repeatedly linked to Hassan, confirming the compound as a logistical hub rather than a command center. The raid triggers a rapid militant counterattack involving RPG fire and approaching reinforcements, forcing a chaotic extraction as explosives destroy the site to prevent intelligence recovery. Elsewhere, CIA operative Rebecca Lang monitors parallel intelligence streams suggesting the raid was anticipated, while in Eastern Europe Colonel Viktor Malenkov identifies the British unit’s unauthorized action as an opportunity to shift blame for impending escalation. Upon returning to London, Price openly defies Calder, accusing command of prioritizing political containment over operational reality, while Calder warns that Price’s actions will result in his professional destruction. The episode concludes as Price covertly activates Simon “Ghost” Riley for an off-the-books operation, while Lang privately acknowledges that the broader conflict has entered an irreversible phase, signaling the beginning of a covert war no longer governed by official chains of command.
2	2	"False Flags"	Freddie Goodwin	Freddie Goodwin	January 23, 2026 (2026-01-23)
In the aftermath of the Syrian raid, Captain Price withdraws to a London safehouse as political pressure mounts, with Gaz warning that Calder is preparing to brief the Defence Committee on what is already being framed as an unsanctioned operation. During the closed parliamentary hearing, Calder carefully characterizes the mission as an aggressive overreach while avoiding direct attribution, as Lang monitors the proceedings and recognizes the narrative forming against British intelligence. Elsewhere, Elena discovers that her encrypted financial routing infrastructure has been compromised when Hassan contacts her directly, demanding loyalty and revealing that fear has rendered her safeguards meaningless. As Malenkov oversees unmarked weapons transfers at a Baltic shipping yard, he identifies growing fractures within British intelligence as a strategic opportunity, while Price’s team uncovers evidence that attacks across Eastern Europe and North Africa are being carried out using Task Force 141’s operational signature. Ghost confirms that the tactics are being deliberately replicated, indicating a coordinated effort to provoke retaliation and manufacture attribution. Lang intervenes by extracting Elena from Warsaw before unknown operatives can reach her, confronting her with proof of her role in Hassan’s financial network and positioning her as a critical variable in the escalating conflict. Calder is informed that Lang has secured the missing piece, while Price concludes that Hassan’s strategy is to engineer war through deniability rather than direct violence. Rejecting the need for authorization, Price resolves to target Hassan’s financial infrastructure, reasoning that starving the network will halt the bloodshed, as Malenkov observes the unfolding chaos with satisfaction and Elena warns Price that Hassan has already anticipated his moves, leaving the episode to close on the recognition that the conflict has shifted from battlefield engagements to a covert war of leverage, perception, and controlled escalation.
3	3	TBA	Unknown	Unknown	January 30, 2026 (2026-01-30)
4	4	TBA	Unknown	Unknown	February 6, 2026 (2026-02-06)
5	5	TBA	TBA	TBA	April 24, 2026 (2026-04-24)
6	6	TBA	TBA	TBA	May 1, 2026 (2026-05-01)
7	7	TBA	TBA	TBA	May 8, 2026 (2026-05-08)
8	8	TBA	TBA	TBA	May 15, 2026 (2026-05-15)

The season will consist of eight episodes.

Cast and characters

See also: List of Call of Duty (2026 TV series) characters

Main cast

• Barry Sloane as Captain John Price: Task Force commander. Gruff, controlled, strategic. The spine of the season
• Elliot Knight as Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick: Primary field operator. Grounded, intelligent, morally anchored. Acts as the audience’s POV into Price’s world.
• Samuel Roukin as Major Marcus Calder: British intelligence liaison. Politically sharp, morally flexible. Knows more than he admits and is constantly clashing with Price over methods.
• Neil Ellice as Staff Sergeant Declan Moore: Explosives and breaching specialist. Older, bitter, experienced. The kind of operator who’s seen too many black ops go wrong.

Recurring cast

• Alex Ferns as Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley: Appears midway through the season. Silent, lethal, unsettling presence. Used sparingly so he doesn’t lose impact.
• Nadine Marshall as CIA Case Officer Rebecca Lang: Handles intelligence flow and deniable assets. Cold, professional, zero sentimentality.

• Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Colonel Viktor Malenkov: Eastern-aligned military strategist. Not a cartoon villain — pragmatic, ideological, and patient.
• Waleed Zuaiter as Hassan Al-Rahim: Financier and operational coordinator for proxy militias. Never on the front line — always two steps removed.
• Jessica Barden as Elena Kovac: Civilian cyber analyst coerced into working for multiple sides. Represents the collateral damage of modern warfare.

Production

Development

A television series based on Call of Duty entered early development in September 2022, when Freddie Goodwin, through his production company Mob Productions, acquired the rights to adapt storylines from the main video game series. Goodwin had begun preliminary work on the project in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining a long-form narrative drawn from the franchise’s campaign structure. In 2021, he stated in an interview conducted on the social media platform Discord that the series would be filmed in a style closely mirroring the games, with each episode structured as an individual campaign mission.

In December 2021, Ava DuVernay stated on Twitter that she was interested in contributing to the series and subsequently contacted Goodwin, who agreed to her involvement. In August 2022, Goodwin approached Activision to secure the rights to distribute the series through HBO Max.

In November 2024, Goodwin stated that the season was looking at a 2026 release and said it would be very early in the year and marketing most likely will begin in 2025. On December 10, 2024, it was announced that the first season will premier on January 16, 2026 and will have a new episode air weekly for four weeks before a second "part" will have the final four episodes release weekly.

Writing

The first season was ordered for eight episodes by December 2022, expanding on Goodwin’s original plan of six episodes, which required revisions to several scripts to accommodate the increased order. In March 2023, Sarah Treem joined the production to write the seventh episode and to assist with revisions to the third episode. Goodwin stated that he intended the series to be the darkest project he had undertaken, initially planning to adapt storylines from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009). He later expanded the scope to include narrative elements from the reboot series, incorporating material from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), and its sequel, Modern Warfare III (2023).

Throughout 2023, Goodwin collaborated with Treem and DuVernay to refine the season’s structure and pacing, aiming to replicate the narrative style of the video games. In multiple interviews, Goodwin stated that he did not expect to achieve a perfect adaptation, but emphasized his intent to make the series as strong as possible. DuVernay echoed this sentiment, expressing approval of Goodwin’s story pitch, and disclosed that the season would largely avoid computer-generated imagery, with CGI reserved primarily for weapon effects.

In March 2024, reports emerged that six of the eight episodes were undergoing extensive reworking due to internal concerns over quality and standards. DuVernay stated that the production had set a clear creative benchmark for the season, adding that failure to meet this goal would jeopardize continuation into a second season, which Goodwin confirmed was in development at the time. During the same period, Goodwin addressed increased public pressure on social media for an early teaser release, stating that the series’ marketing strategy would closely mirror that of a new Call of Duty game release.

Casting

The series is led by Barry Sloane, who reprises his role as Captain John Price from the Modern Warfare reboot sub-series. Price is depicted as the central figure of the season, serving as the commander of an off-the-books task force operating across deniable theaters. Gruff, controlled, and relentlessly strategic, Price functions as the moral and operational spine of the narrative, anchoring the series’ tone and structure. Sloane’s portrayal emphasizes restraint and authority rather than spectacle, presenting Price as a commander shaped by decades of covert conflict and increasingly burdened by the consequences of decisions made in secrecy.

Elliot Knight stars as Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, the task force’s primary field operator and the audience’s principal point of entry into Price’s world. Gaz is characterized as grounded and observant, serving as both an effective soldier and a moral counterweight to the more hardened figures around him. Samuel Roukin appears as Major Marcus Calder, a British intelligence liaison whose political instincts and flexible ethics place him in frequent conflict with Price. Calder’s role reflects the institutional tensions between intelligence agencies and special operations, while Neil Ellice portrays Staff Sergeant Declan Moore, a veteran explosives and breaching specialist marked by cynicism and fatigue. Moore’s presence underscores the long-term psychological cost of black operations and failed interventions.

The recurring cast expands the season’s scope beyond the core task force. Alex Ferns appears as Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley, introduced midway through the season and used sparingly to preserve his impact, portrayed as a silent and unnerving operative whose reputation precedes him. Nadine Marshall plays CIA case officer Rebecca Lang, a cold and methodical intelligence handler responsible for managing deniable assets, while Tom Vaughan-Lawlor portrays Colonel Viktor Malenkov, an Eastern-aligned military strategist depicted as pragmatic and ideological rather than overtly villainous. Waleed Zuaiter appears as Hassan Al-Rahim, a financier and coordinator of proxy militias who operates at a deliberate distance from the battlefield, and Jessica Barden portrays Elena Kovac, a civilian cyber analyst coerced into working for multiple factions, representing the human cost and unintended victims of modern covert warfare.

Filming

Principal photography began on March 12, 2023, with Goodwin on site for every session. He alongside all the actors chose to film all the episodes without too many breaks, though opted for a longer break between episodes. Filming wrapped up on August 27, 2023.

Editing

Cedric Nairn-Smith, Stephanie Filo, and Melissa Lawson Cheung returned as editors from the first season.

Marketing

Goodwin addressed growing public pressure on social media for an early teaser release by stating that the series’ marketing strategy would closely mirror that of a new Call of Duty game launch. The first teaser trailer was released on YouTube on July 17, 2025, with a runtime of just over one minute. In the lead-up to its release, several brief five-second promotional teasers were shared across various social media platforms. A full-length final trailer was subsequently released on December 17, 2025.

Release

The first season is set to premiere on January 16, 2026, and will consist of eight episodes. It will be released in two parts, with the first four episodes release weekly from January 16 through to February 6. The second part will begin in late April.

External links

• Template:IMDb episodes