‘God of War’: Dave Bautista officially cast as Kratos, replacing Ryan Hurst in Prime Video series

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Prime Video has found its new Ghost of Sparta. Bautista has closed a deal to play Kratos, the central character in Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television’s live-action adaptation of the God of War video game franchise. The casting follows weeks of reports that Bautista was being considered for the role.

Bautista takes over from Ryan Hurst , who was announced as Kratos in January and had already begun filming before suffering a torn bicep during production in June. The injury required surgery and was expected to keep Hurst away from filming for an extended period, prompting Amazon to pursue a replacement rather than wait for his recovery.

The change comes after production had already progressed significantly. The series began filming in Vancouver earlier this year, with several episodes reportedly completed before Hurst’s injury. Bautista’s casting means material featuring Hurst will need to be reshot, with production expected to resume in Vancouver this fall.

The former WWE wrestler became a global film star through his role as Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films before taking on roles in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 and Dune , where he played Glossu Rabban. His recent credits include Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two and Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery .

In God of War , Bautista will play the older version of Kratos established in the 2018 PlayStation game and its 2022 sequel God of War Ragnarök . The television series follows Kratos and his young son Atreus as they travel through the Norse realms to fulfil a final request from Atreus’ mother, Faye. Their journey gradually forces Kratos to confront his violent past while trying to teach his son how to survive as a god.

Callum Vinson remains attached as Atreus, while the previously announced ensemble includes Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur and Teresa Palmer as Sif. Ronald D. Moore serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

The series has received a two-season order, with both seasons planned to cover the stories of the two most recent God of War games. Amazon has yet to announce a premiere date.

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