Peter Berg's controversial remarks about video games in the past and the Call of Duty film

Peter Berg is the director of the much-discussed upcoming Call of Duty film. That appointment has drawn attention to some controversial comments he made in the past about video games, especially war games like Call of Duty. Those remarks come from an interview Berg gave to Esquire in December 2013, and are now 13 years old.

War video games and culture

During the Esquire interview, Berg voiced concerns about American culture, which he described as too "soft." He said: "I think it's pathetic. Pathetic. Keyboard courage. Can't stand it." Those comments were aimed at gamers, with a clear disapproval of young people spending hours playing games. In his view, encouraging physical activity and interaction with the real world would be preferable to playing video games. Berg said: "The only people I give a Call of Duty get-out-of-jail-free card to are members of the military. They're there working and it might be boring, so I can understand that. But kids? Uh-uh."

Peter Berg's film career

Peter Berg is known not only for his comments, but also for his work in the film industry. He directed the films Battleship, which was released in 2012, and Lone Survivor, in 2013. Lone Survivor is based on the memoirs of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and was well received, with Mark Wahlberg in the lead role. These films show his varied interests and affinity for military themes.

What can we expect from the Call of Duty film?

Now that it has been confirmed that Berg will direct the Call of Duty film, many are wondering how his earlier remarks about video games will affect his approach to the project. The film, which is set to release on June 30, 2028, will be a live-action adaptation aimed at both longtime fans of the franchise and new viewers. Activision and Paramount are handling the film's development and production.

Very little is known so far about the story, characters, or setting. Although Berg and co-writer Taylor Sheridan have promised to capture the reality of soldiers' lives, details about the film's specific content remain a mystery. Whether the film will focus on the popular Modern Warfare or Black Ops series, or tell an entirely new story with original characters, is still unknown.

With this background and his earlier comments in mind, it will be interesting to see how Berg translates his view of war video games to the big screen. The film's progress and any possible shift in Berg's stance could make for interesting discussion at upcoming press events.