Though it was very different from the original trilogy, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 campaign proved to be a hit with fans, as intense missions like Clean House paired well with serious stories like Farah’s. One of the most popular characters in the game was Alex, who went from a CIA agent that played every side to someone that became loyal to Farah’s cause. Though he seemed to die at the end of the campaign, this turned out to be false, and he was added as an Operator post-launch - something that may happen with another character from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Alex surviving the explosion that seemed guaranteed to be fatal ultimately comes down to his popularity as a character, and Infinity Ward added a prosthetic leg to his model so that his sacrifice at least had some meaning. Though players have no clue what the future will bring when it comes to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Operators, Gaz’s appearance in Season 1 shows that campaign characters are surely on the way, and Phillip Graves could be a fine pick for a surprise playable character.
Graves’ Death is Even More Suspicious Than Alex's
Some players had hoped Alex survived simply because his death was shown off-screen, with Farah simply assuming that her comrade was killed in the final mission. Fans got their wish, as he survived and appeared in Warzone’s continuation of the story months after Modern Warfare 2019 released. Phillip Graves could end up in the exact same situation, with the community’s appreciation for the villain pushing Infinity Ward to work him into Warzone 2’s ongoing story.
While Alex was near an explosion, making his survival miraculous, many members of the community believe Graves was not even in the tank during the Ghost Team mission. This would explain his lack of reaction to the vehicle being damaged, and with Soap simply leaving the fiery wreckage behind and assuming that Graves was dead inside, he could easily be alive. Graves could have faked being in the tank while a random member of Shadow Company piloted the vehicle, letting them to the dirty work and risk their life while he viewed the action from somewhere else and spoke over some speakers.
Graves Return Can Set Up Modern Warfare 2’s Campaign DLC
Assuming that Graves is alive, he could headline a future Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Season as the main Operator. Like Valeria, he would be a sought-after character that pushes campaign fans to pick up the battle pass, and his return could come with some major lore implications. In particular, he could want revenge on Task Force 141, and he would likely not be alone on this quest for vengeance.
With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 campaign DLC rumored, Infinity Ward could let Task Force 141 deal with General Shepherd before the looming threat of Makarov becomes more serious. If this happens, Shepherd would surely send Graves back at Task Force 141, with Graves having a personal vendetta since his reputation as a mercenary will have been ruined by the heroes. Graves’ Operator reveal could set this conflict up, with his bio then mentioning how he survived Modern Warfare 2’s tank boss fight.
Obviously, Graves is not confirmed, and gamers should not expect him to show up as an Operator based on a theory. Still, Infinity Ward pulled a very similar trick with Alex in the last game, so it seems like a legitimate possibility. With Graves being a hit with players, capitalizing on that makes sense, either with an Operator bundle or Battle Pass release. His death is also left open-ended, so like Alex he could easily make a surprise comeback as the story unfolds.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
