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Wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista is set to take on the role of Kratos in Prime Video‘s forthcoming God Of War series, following an on-set injury leading to the role being recast.
According to Variety, Bautista, who is arguably the most serious of the recent swathe of wrestlers-turned-actors like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena, has officially taken on the show’s main character after the original actor, Ryan Hurst, tore his bicep on set. Though Amazon MGM Studios has yet to confirm, Man of Many has reached out for comment.
At least on surface level, Bautista’s casting makes sense. With Amazon having to recast the role unexpectedly, and shooting two seasons of the highly-anticipated show back-to-back, they need someone who can jump right in. Given Kratos is a literal god, he’s built as such and not many actors have that physicality. One that does, and might be able to carry the emotional weight of the storyline as well, is Dave Bautista.
Plus, with mega-franchises like Dune, Blade Runner and Guardians of the Galaxy already under his belt, Bautista has already proven to audiences his acting range outside the ring.
Of course, this is still bitter news for Ryan Hurst and for Amazon MGM Studios. After tearing his bicep during an on-set stunt back in June, he had to undergo surgery and will be undergoing recovery for some time. Being no stranger to the God Of War universe, having played Thor in 2022’s God of War: Ragnarök, Hurst put on 20kg of muscle in preparation for the role.
The series, marking Bautista’s first TV series (not playing himself) since 2021’s See, follows the the most recent God of War games. Expect to see Kratos battling Gods from the Norse Pantheon while raising his son, Artreus, played by Callum Vinson.
The cast also includes Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka as as brothers Brok and Sindri, and Ed Skrein as Baldur.
Prime Video’s God Of War series has no release date locked in as yet, with filming currently taking place in Vancouver.
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