A Deep Connection to War Narratives
For decades, Tom Hanks has been exploring war narratives through his works. From Saving Private Ryan to acclaimed miniseries like Band of Brothers, Hanks has been drawn to stories about war throughout his career. Now, he comes out with his newest documentary series, World War II with Tom Hanks. Ahead of its premiere, Hanks revealed why World War II continues to draw him back again and again. His connection to these stories has only grown stronger, and there is a much more philosophical reason behind it.
Earlier this week, episodes from the docuseries World War II with Tom Hanks began premiering. Hanks sat down with his collaborator and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham. The two discussed their fascination with war narratives in an interview. He was asked why he keeps making more and more World War II movies and TV shows. Hanks revealed that he had been asking himself the same question recently.
“Why do I keep turning to it again and again for that combination of poetry and solace and enlightenment? And I divined that it has to be about today.”
Hanks explained that he doesn’t study history from the distant. Instead, he has found a strong connection between modern times and the stories of World War II. “It has to be more about the palpable choices that we face here in 2026 as opposed to, look what those tough guys did back in the 1930s. Along with all that comes the tactile decisions that every human being had to make at that time to get involved that is no different from the sort of tactile decisions that we have to make today about getting involved.”
He highlighted that there are many parallels between history and what is happening in today’s world. “The kinds of personal choices that had to be made in World War II were as blatant and as obvious as the difference between freedom and slavery. There were two forces out there that said we are racially superior to anybody else, or we are theologically superior to everybody else, because of what is inside our blood.”
Hanks believes that these personal choices still exist today. “Is that in existence anywhere today? Well, yeah. So, in that regard, it always comes down to some kind of personal choice that we’re going to have to make no matter what the war is.”
A New Documentary Continues His Long World War II Legacy
Hanks first explored war through cinema when he starred in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. It went on to become one of the most influential war films ever made. It undoubtedly sparked his long-running interest in the genre.
Since then, he has worked on several acclaimed war narratives. This also includes producing miniseries such as Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and Masters of the Air.
His latest project is World War II with Tom Hanks, in which he serves as both narrator and executive producer. The documentary series was created in collaboration with historian Jon Meacham and aims to cover every major event and historical element of World War II.
Despite decades of telling stories from the era, Hanks has no intention of stopping anytime soon. His passion for history continues to guide his career. When asked if his latest project is his final word on World War II, he replied, “Oh, every time I read a book, I come up with something else I want to option in order to try to turn it into a movie or miniseries.”
