The most infamous villain in the Call of Duty series is back for Modern Warfare 3, as Vladimir Makarov looks to take on Captain Price again.
In what is expected to be the third and final chapter in the rebooted Modern Warfare series, the Russian Ultranationalist is making a cameo again, with the backing of Shepherd and Graves, seemingly pulling the strings and orchestrating the chaos of the last two instalments.
But he might now look a bit different than before, as the original actor will not be returning to the series, and leaks suggest that another star has been cast.
Makarov’s Modern Warfare 3 actor leakedÂ
Click to enlargeInfinity Ward
The original actor of Makarov (Roman Varshavsky) has since moved on from the franchise, following the character’s death in the first iteration of the Modern Warfare series. He’s since landed small roles on Stranger Things and The Brave.
Now, reports suggest that a new actor has been cast ahead of Modern Warfare 3’s release on November 10. According to leaker Ralph Valve – who recently claimed that Activision had turned up to his house to put a stop to his leaks – Makarov is set to be played by Bulgarian actor Julian Kostov in Modern Warfare 3.
Makarov to change actors in Modern Warfare 3
Click to enlargeSledgehammer Games | Infinity Ward
Kostov will add a much younger appearance to Makarov, as the fresh-faced 33-year-old will be challenged with depicting the character, who is suspected to be around 52 by the time Modern Warfare 3 airs.
The Bulgarian actor has starred in a number of video games before, such as CrossfireX, The Walking Dead, and A Way Out. He’s also played action characters in the TV series Shadow and Bone, alongside the film Search and Destroy.
It will be quite interesting to see the fate of Kostov’s Makarov come to the end of the series, knowing that his fabled antagonist has a habit of escaping death and proving to be more than a thorn in the side of Captain Price and the wider world.
But let’s not rule out this being a one-game appearance, as we know the timelines aren’t canonically linked, so Price and Co. could dispatch Makarov much more swiftly than last time out.