Prime Video's God Of War Series Recasts Kratos (And He's Perfect)
by Bill Bria · /FilmTo paraphrase the book of Job: "God of War" may taketh away, but "God of War" also giveth. That's the feeling we here at Slashfilm dot com have over the issues facing the "God of War" series being made for Prime Video, which recently lost its original lead actor, Ryan Hurst, due to a debilitating injury he suffered on set. In a better world, it might've been possible for Hurst to recover and resume the role, but unfortunately, the production couldn't wait that long without risking being scrapped entirely. A new Kratos would need to be found.
When the news broke that Dave Bautista was being eyed as Hurst's replacement, we were encouraged by the idea and remained hopeful that it would come to pass. Today, we can officially rejoice in the announcement that Bautista has indeed signed on the dotted line to take over the role. Bautista's casting means the production can get back up and running fairly quickly, as the actor already has a good deal of experience with action and the physique necessary to play the Spartan warrior. As Deadline reports, the production is aiming to resume shooting in mid-October, and the original director of the first two episodes starring Hurst (which will now be scrapped), Frederick E.O. Toye, can return to kick things off. While it's a shame that we won't get to see Hurst in the role (and one hopes that he'll get another meaty lead part upon his physical recovery), it's a treat for "God of War" fans and genre fans in general that we have a new Bautista-led fantasy action series to look forward to watching.
Dave Bautista's Kratos could be a culmination of the actor's talents
Even though Dave Bautista is inarguably a celebrity and a marquee name, as an actor he still feels full of untapped potential. Part of that is due to his rise in professional wrestling, meaning that, like most wrestlers-turned-actors, he's often been cast in roles that are physically demanding while emotionally lightweight. Also, like his fellow wrestler John Cena, Bautista has demonstrated a fabulous gift for comedy. In fact, about half of the entries on /Film's "Best Dave Bautista Movies" list are for the actor's comedic roles.
Yet Bautista has delivered some remarkably soulful dramatic work in films like "Knock at the Cabin," "Bushwick," and "Blade Runner 2049," something that many other actors struggle with, never mind former wrestlers or action stars. Despite these memorable appearances as a supporting or ensemble character, Bautista hasn't yet received a lead role in which he can craft a performance as rich as those.
Which is where "God of War" comes in. The series is based on the games developed by Santa Monica Studio and concerns Kratos and his son, Atreus (Callum Vinson), as they try to spread the ashes of his deceased wife. That's already a dramatically weighty premise, and when taken into account the fact that the showrunner is Ronald D. Moore, who worked dramatic wonders with his "Battlestar Galactica" remake series, it feels like "God of War" won't be another explosions-and-quips venture for Bautista in action mode. Of course, he'll deliver on the battles, which will surely be featured, yet the promise that he could get to flex his dramatic as well as his literal muscles is highly encouraging. For a while, it seemed "God of War" was destined for disaster. Now, however, its future looks bright.