A major change is happening with the live-action “God of War” TV series. According to Deadline, the show halted production and will need to find a new Kratos.
The decision comes just a couple of months after we got a rather perfect first look at Kratos and Atreus in the live-action “God of War” adaptation by Prime Video. Ryan Hurst, originally cast as Kratos, reportedly was seriously injured on the set of the TV show in late June, tearing a bicep while doing a stunt. Hurst needed surgery and is now recovering. Still, the recovery time can take months, even a full year, and considering how action-heavy the story is, the executives and producers decided to recast the role after careful consideration. Filming for “God of War” is reportedly scheduled to re-start mid-October.
Executive showrunner Marc Bernardin took to Threads to comment on the news: “I’ve nothing to say but a hale and hearty “no comment.” #GodOfWar”
Obviously, this is disappointing news. Not only was Ryan Hurst perfect to play Kratos, but he was intimately familiar with the game and the gaming community, having already brought Thor to life in the “God of War” games. The actor reportedly put on 40 pounds to bring Kratos to life and transformed himself for the role. Hurst most recently appeared in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.”
This is not the first time “God of War” has suffered a major setback. Back in 2024 the original showrunner Rafe Judkins exited the project, and Amazon MGM brought in Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “For All Mankind”) as the new showrunner late that year.
God of War can be the next big video game adaptation
The news of Ryan Hurst being recast is no doubt horrible for the actor, coupled with the fact that the production now has a major setback. The actors will have to reshoot scenes, and child actor Callum Vinson (who plays Kratos’ song, Atreus) will have to familiarize himself with an entirely new co-star.
Still, not even this news can take away from the excitement of the “God of War” TV series, and the video game that can teach Hollywood a few lessons. After all, “God of War” is already like a really spectacular movie, part of a trend in the 2010s of video games becoming more cinematic in their storytelling and camerawork. Indeed, most of the fight scenes of “God of War,” the cutscenes, and even seemingly random moments of the player walking around look as great as some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. If the writers add enough original material and aren’t afraid to adapt rather than simply copy the source material, this could be the next big video game adaptation.
“God of War” also stars Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, and Danny Woodburn as Brok.
