Dave Bautista Cast as Kratos in Upcoming God of War Series

Amazon MGM’s live-action adaptation of PlayStation’s God of War may have found its new Kratos. Actor and former pro wrestler Dave Bautista, recognized for his roles in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, Dune, and Knock at the Cabin, is reportedly in discussions to step into the role of Kratos, taking over from Ryan Hurst.

Reports indicate that Bautista is in negotiations to replace Hurst, who was initially cast as Kratos but suffered an injury on set that required surgery and a lengthy recovery. Rather than delay production, Amazon MGM decided to recast the role.

While Bautista’s casting isn’t official yet, it comes alongside news of other recastings. Actors Callum Vinson and Island Austin will be replaced in their roles as Atreus and Thrud for the show’s second season.

Bautista is expected to join the God of War cast after completing filming for the Highlander remake, a project for which he bulked up. Recently, he has slimmed down to pursue a wider range of roles.

The God of War series will follow the journey of father and son, Kratos and Atreus, as they seek to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. The creators describe their adventures as a dynamic where Kratos aims to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus helps his father learn to be a better human.

The cast also includes Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, and Danny Woodburn as Brok.

Ronald D. Moore, known for Battlestar Galactica and Outlander, is the showrunner, executive producer, and writer for God of War. Other executive producers include Maril Davis, Cory Barlog, Naren Shankar, Matthew Graham, Asad Qizilbash, Jeff Ketcham, Hermen Hulst, Roy Lee, and Brad Van Arragon. The series will be directed by Emmy Award-winning director Frederick E.O. Toye for the first two episodes. The show has been ordered for two seasons and will stream on Prime Video.

A first look teaser for God of War was released back in February, featuring Hurst in the lead role. The next game in the franchise, God of War Laufey, is set to launch in February 2027, with Kratos also leading in a future installment from Santa Monica Studio, which has yet to be titled or dated.