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‘God of War’ Legend Reveals Why He Turned Down Live-Action Kratos [Exclusive]
Actor Christopher Judge, the voice of Kratos in the God of War video games, has spoken publicly for the first time about Prime Video's live-action adaptation following a major cast change. Ryan Hurst, who had been set to play the lead role, suffered a serious injury that paused production and led to his replacement by Dave Bautista. Judge, appearing at a Fan Expo Canada panel, said his priority is for the series to succeed regardless of who plays the character, expressing support for both Hurst's original casting and Bautista stepping in.
Judge explained he had been confident in Hurst, noting the actor's deep familiarity with the games and his prior voice role as Thor in God of War: Ragnarök. With Bautista now taking on the older, more world-weary Kratos seen in the 2018 game, Judge said he hopes the actor thrives in the part, but voiced concern that the rapid production turnaround could risk Bautista's health, given reports he recently lost around 100 pounds. The series, now overseen by showrunner Ronald D. Moore after an earlier creative overhaul, has faced repeated behind-the-scenes upheaval since it was first announced.
In short
- Christopher Judge reacts to Dave Bautista replacing injured Ryan Hurst as Kratos
- Judge says he wants the God of War series to succeed regardless of casting
- He voices concern over Bautista's health given the rushed production timeline
Explained simply
God of War is a video-game series centred on Kratos, a former Greek warrior who becomes entangled with the gods. In the 2018 game, the story moves to the world of Norse mythology, where an older Kratos travels with his son, Atreus.
Christopher Judge voices Kratos in the games, while Ryan Hurst voiced Thor in the sequel, God of War: Ragnarök. Prime Video is adapting the games as a live-action series, with Dave Bautista now set to play Kratos after Hurst left the lead role following an injury.
The adaptation has had changes behind the scenes, including a shift in its creative leadership to showrunner Ronald D. Moore. Its casting matters because Kratos is central to the story, and the series will bring a well-known game character to viewers who may not have played the games.