Following the God of War live-action adaptation suffering from production delays due to the actor for Kratos suffering a major injury, a new report indicates that Amazon – one of the producers for the show – is now eyeing Dave Bautista for the role. According to Variety, Amazon’s and Sony’s potential decision to cast Bautista in the role would lead to the show’s production kicking back off by Fall.
The role was previously going to be played by Ryan Hurst, who had also made an appearance in God of War Ragnarök in the role of Thor. During the production of the show, however, Hurst seemingly suffered from a torn bicep while performing a stunt during production. The actor has since undergone surgery and is slated to only be capable of resuming filming by 2027. This led to the show’s production being put on hold.
As for Bautista, the former WWE Superstar is known for a wide variety of roles after he left the pro-wrestling company, catching his biggest break when he was cast as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. He has played many other roles since then across movies like Blade Runner 2049, Army of the Dead, and Spectre. Bautista has also worked on several Amazon movies, including My Spy: The Eternal City and The Wrecking Crew, and is slated to appear in Road House 2 and the Highlander remake.
God of War’s cast is slated to include Callum Vinson as Atreus, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn as Brok, and Jeff Gulka as Sindri, and no changes to this have been announced so far.
While story details about the God of War show are currently unknown, the cast list indicates that it will adapt the story told from 2018’s God of War and 2022’s God of War Ragnarök. Its description notes that it will follow Kratos and his son Atreus on their journey following the death of Faye – their wife and mother, respectively. With the goal of scattering her ashes from the highest mountain in the realms, the two are going to face many troubles, and if the adaptation sticks close to the source material, they will also have to face many members of the Norse pantheon.
When it comes to the video games, the next entry in the series is going to be God of War Laufey, which is slated for release on February 16th, 2027, exclusively on PS5. The title will focus on the eponymous Laufey – who many players might know better as Faye – after she dies and ends up in a strange afterlife known only as the Everywhen. There, she will meet cosmic cube Phranque and talking ribbon Rue – the latter being attached to a sword – as she explores the new realm and takes on a fresh set of challenges.
Head of creative at developer Santa Monica Studio, Cory Barlog, has also confirmed that the game following God of War Laufey will once more focus on franchise protagonist Kratos.
