On August 21, 2026, Dave Bautista officially became the new – Update: 9:46 a.m. on August 21. ET: According to Variety, Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune, Knock at the Cabin) has been formally cast as Kratos in the live-action God of War series on Amazon Prime.
Ryan Hurst, the original Kratos actor, was ousted from the part after tearing his bicep during filming last month; waiting for Hurst to recuperate would have caused production to be delayed until 2027. Bautista will take his place. With this confirmation, the 2018 God of War game adaptation is anticipated to resume filming in the coming weeks (with Ryan Hurst’s previously filmed scenes requiring reshoots). Variety had previously reported that Amazon MGM and Sony Pictures Television had started talks with Bautista about stepping into the role.
Below is the continuation of the original story.
Original Story, August 3, 5:48 p.m. ET: After Ryan Hurst, star of Kratos, tore his bicep during filming, the live-action God of War TV series on Amazon Prime was put on hold last month. Hurst’s character is being recast by Amazon since he will need months of rehabilitation after his surgery. Dave Bautista might be taking over for him, according to Variety.
Variety’s sources claim that Bautista is in negotiations with Amazon to play Kratos in the forthcoming series. Former WWE star Bautista has notable roles in the Dune series, Blade Runner 2049, Glass Onion, Knock at the Cabin, Army of the Dead, The Killer’s Game, and is scheduled to appear in Road House 2 and Highlander. However, he is most known for his role as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a model replacement for Marcus Fenix in Gears 5 (after the actor lobbied to play the role in a movie), Bautista is no stranger to the realm of video games.
An on-set picture of Ryan Hurst as Kratos from God of War
It’s unclear if the four God of War episodes that were being filmed at the time of Hurst’s accident would ever be released, as Deadline has previously reported.
Callum Vinson as Atreus, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Álafur Darriňlafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn as Brok, and Jeff Gulka as Sindri comprise the remaining cast of God of War. The show has been given a two-season order and will adapt the 2018 God of War.
For additional information about God of War, the upcoming game in the series, God of War Laufey, recently received a February release date.
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