Wait, what the fork!? We’re getting a new Black Ops game?! The Xbox Games Showcase today just gave us the first look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. This is the first time the series has seen a yearly release in the history of the Call of Duty franchise. This upcoming game has a stacked cast, but one actor in particular might make you do a double-take.
While Milo Ventimiglia (from This Is Us, Heroes) and Kiernan Shipka (from the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) headline the cast, it’s Michael Rooker, best known to Marvel fans as Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy, who’s making a surprise return to the franchise. Yeah, he was already part of Call of Duty lore.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is coming, and Yondu is coming with it
Revealed during today’s Xbox Games Showcase, Black Ops 7 picks up in the year 2035—over 40 years after Black Ops 6. The announcement came as a surprise, not just for its futuristic setting but also because it marks the first time Activision has released two Black Ops titles back-to-back.
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Here’s a first look | #XboxShowcase pic.twitter.com/v6xDcEQ7f3— Xbox (@Xbox) June 8, 2025
“This is the first time we’re staying within the Black Ops series with back-to-back releases,” said Tyler Bahl, Head of Activision Publishing Marketing. Developed once again by Treyarch and Raven Software, this new title will take us into a near-future world that is crumbling under the strain of global conflict and psychological warfare. So, just your average Black Ops plot.
While there’s a lot we could say about two of the main actors in the game, it’s Michael Rooker’s return as Mike Harper that we’re here to talk about right now. Rooker first voiced Harper in Black Ops 2, and though his performance was well-received, he hasn’t appeared in the series since.
Milo Ventimiglia will play David Mason
Kiernan Shipka will play Emma Kagen
Michael Rooker will play Mike Harper #BlackOps7(via Variety) pic.twitter.com/MSJn1XniiC
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) June 8, 2025
Where we have seen him since, though, is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rooker voices one of our favorite father figures and a badass Ravager in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and is easily one of the best parts of the MCU. “I think our fans, you know, will be excited to see him… because he hasn’t been here in a while,” Bahl said to Variety in a new interview.
The Black Ops series is thriving
Activision also confirmed that the game will feature a fully co-op-enabled campaign, so we can either play solo or team up with friends. The developers are also promising an “innovative” Co-op Campaign. Multiplayer will also feature all-new maps and futuristic weaponry suited to the 2035 setting, so get ready for a new flavor of Call of Duty chaos.
What makes Black Ops 7 even more intriguing is its sudden drop, with almost no pre-launch hype. According to Activision marketing chief Tyler Bahl, this was intentional. He also told Variety that the team planned it as sort of like a surprise album drop that artists like Beyoncé might have.
And obviously, it’s a tactic that is going to work, considering the fact that Black Ops 6 was the best-selling game during its launch window across Xbox and PlayStation platforms. Black Ops 7 will release later this year on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC via Xbox PC, Battle.net, and Steam.
And before you even ask, yes, it will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
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