God of War has a new Kratos, and this casting feels like destiny. If you haven't been keeping up with the production of God of War, Ryan Hurst was originally cast as Kratos. He recently suffered a torn bicep on set, which sounds incredibly painful. It was an injury so severe that he unfortunately had to drop out of the new God of War series coming to Prime Video.
This happened after shooting had already begun, and the crew was already deep into production. The recovery timeline would've delayed filming so much that Amazon and Sony had no choice but to recast the role. For a while, we all wondered who'd actually step up to replace him as Kratos.
Enter the Ghost of Sparta: Dave Bautista Steps In
Now, we officially know Kratos will be played by none other than Dave Bautista. This is exactly who I had in mind, and it's the exact casting I originally wanted. When I first saw that Prime Video was adapting God of War, the only person I thought of was Bautista. Variety is now confirming that he's secured the role. Just look at him during his wrestling career.
Look at the comedic timing and the massive scale he brought to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. He already looks exactly like Kratos, and it won't even take much makeup or gym prep to get him ready for the role.
"When I first saw that Prime Video was adapting God of War, the only person I thought of was Bautista. He already looks exactly like Kratos, and it won't even take much makeup or gym prep to get him ready."
The Variety report also confirmed that Prime Video has already ordered two seasons of the show, which will be shot back-to-back. If this video game adaptation is anywhere near the quality and storytelling that we get from Santa Monica Studio, I expect them to order even more. God of War is an incredible franchise packed with tons of lore, and an actor like Bautista is the perfect guy to step in.
Respect to Ryan Hurst
I was initially excited to see Ryan Hurst take on the role. I wasn't too familiar with his acting outside of his recent work in The Odyssey, but he did voice Thor in God of War Ragnarok. While I felt that was a solid performance, I did admittedly think he was miscast as Kratos. I still had high hopes for him, though. At the end of the day, I really hope Hurst gets recast in a different project down the line, but for now, I just hope he makes a smooth and steady recovery.
As for Bautista, he's recently got some solid roles and really started building up a serious acting career. He's been choosing projects that challenge him and highlight his acting skills rather than just rely on his size. I think this series will be another massive opportunity for him to flex his acting muscles.
What to Expect From Prime Video
If you're a fan of the game, you're probably anticipating this as much as I am. I am excited that Prime Video picked it up because they absolutely won't hold back on the violence, action, or gore. This is going to be a mature, R-rated show. And if we get the same level of quality that we saw with The Boys, Gen V, and Fallout, then this series is going to be a massive hit. Go check out the links below to see some of my favorite Prime Video shows.
Let me know in the comments: are you hyped for Dave Bautista as Kratos?
Sources & Further Reading:
Variety: Dave Bautista Officially Set as Kratos in ‘God of War’ TV Series