Dave Bautista has officially signed on to play Kratos in Prime Video’s God of War series, replacing Ryan Hurst after the original lead suffered a serious injury on set. Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television confirmed the casting this week, following early-August reports that the Guardians of the Galaxy star was in talks to take over the role.
Hurst, best known for Sons of Anarchy and The Odyssey, was four months into the shoot when he tore a bicep while performing a stunt in late June. Rather than wait out the recovery, producers decided to recast, and they quickly turned to Bautista, a former WWE star already familiar to Amazon MGM through the My Spy movies and this year’s The Wrecking Crew.
A Fresh Start in Vancouver
With Bautista locked in, the plan is to get the fantasy drama back in front of cameras with a mid-October production start in Vancouver. The series is restarting from scratch, with none of the footage from the original shoot being used, and the two-season order remains in place with the seasons set to film back-to-back. Frederick E.O. Toye, the Emmy-winning director of Shōgun and The Boys who helmed the first two episodes, will direct the new iteration.
The show, from showrunner Ronald D. Moore (For All Mankind, Outlander), follows Kratos and his son Atreus (Callum Vinson) as they set out to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye.
“Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.”
The rest of the cast includes Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor and Teresa Palmer as Sif. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television with PlayStation Productions.
Why It Matters
Bautista’s casting has been one of the most debated in the video-game adaptation boom, and his size and screen presence have made him a fan-favorite pick for the Ghost of Sparta for years. With only weeks to prepare for a physically punishing role, the pressure is on, but his wrestling background and the bulking-up he did for the upcoming Highlander movie should help. For Prime Video, landing Bautista keeps one of its biggest bets on track after an injury threatened to derail the entire production. Expect Kratos to swing his Leviathan Axe onto screens sooner rather than later.
