Actor and former WWE superstar Dave Bautista has been cast to play the lead role of Kratos in the upcoming God of War live-action television series.
Bautista replaces actor Ryan Hurst, who was forced to exit the production after sustaining an injury. The casting ends weeks of industry speculation following Hurst’s departure.
Production on the series is set to restart from scratch when filming begins later this year.
The television adaptation, produced by Prime Video, will closely follow the storyline of the critically acclaimed 2018 video game. The plot centres on Kratos and his young son, Atreus, as they travel across a realm rooted in Norse mythology to spread the ashes of Kratos’ late wife.
Bautista, 57, transitioned to full-time acting after retiring from professional wrestling in 2019. He is widely known for playing Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with additional major roles in films such as Dune, Spectre, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
