[UPDATE - August 21, 2026] Deadline now confirms that Dave Bautista has officially been cast as Kratos in Amazon's upcoming God of War TV series. According to the publication, preparation work kicks off this month ahead of the series' production, which is due to start in mid-October in Vancouver, the show's home base. This series is being developed anew, as no footage from the previous shoot will be used, which will inevitably delay the previous timeline. Emmy-winning director Frederick E.O. Toye (whose previous credits include acclaimed shows like Shōgun, The Boys, and Fallout), who helmed the first two episodes alongside […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/dave-bautista-kratos-god-of-war-amazon/

Dave Bautista has now been officially confirmed as the new Kratos for Amazon’s upcoming God of War TV series. The actor will lead the live‑action adaptation following the recasting of the role earlier this year.

According to Variety, Bautista has now signed on to replace Ryan Hurst, who was originally announced as Kratos in January but suffered a torn bicep that would have delayed production into 2027. Amazon and Sony opted to recast the part, and with Bautista now locked in, filming is expected to resume in the coming weeks. All previously shot scenes featuring Hurst will be reshot.

Image: Ryan Hurst in full make-up for God of War. Hurst is now being replaced by Dave Bautista (Drax, Guardians of the Galaxy)

Prime Video has already ordered two seasons of God of War, with both planned to film back‑to‑back. Production began in Vancouver earlier this year before being paused due to the casting change. Bautista’s physical readiness is cited as a major factor in the quick turnaround, as he is one of the few actors capable of stepping into the role on short notice without requiring months of preparation.

The series will adapt the story of the two most recent games, following Kratos and his ten‑year‑old son, Atreus, as they journey to fulfil Faye’s final wish while confronting gods of the Norse pantheon. Callum Vinson remains attached as Atreus, with additional cast members including Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka as Brok and Sindri, and Ed Skrein as Baldur.

KitGuru Says: Bautista has long been considered a strong fit for Kratos, and now it’s official. With production set to resume soon, we should start seeing more updates on Amazon’s God of War series in the months ahead.

For a while, it looked like the God of War cast was set in stone, but producers of the TV adaptation quickly decided to move on from their original Kratos actor after an injury. Now, it would appear that Dave Bautista could be stepping into the role. 

Bautista is best known for his role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as a few other Marvel films. Bautista has also heavily campaigned himself for a role in a future Gears of War adaptation. With Netflix's Gears of War adaptation seemingly on pause for now, Bautista may transition his efforts to another GoW series.

According to Variety, Amazon and Sony already have plans to put Dave Bautista into the main Kratos role after moving on from the previous actor. Amazon also wants to quickly begin production on the series once again, which had previously been on pause until at least 2027.

Bautista would certainly fit the role of Kratos, although nothing has been officially announced just yet.

KitGuru Says: Do you think Bautista will do well as Kratos, or would you prefer a different actor? 

There has been a great deal of discourse surrounding the recently-announced God of War Laufey, with one of the most vocal issues being the fact that the spin-off / side-quel will not be starring the ‘god of war’ Kratos himself. To no one’s surprise however, it has now been officially confirmed that Kratos will return in a future title coming some time after the release of Laufey.

As reported by IGN, Santa Monica Studio’s head of creative Cory Barlog (who also served as Game Director for 2018’s God of War and Creative Director for Ragnarok) confirmed during a recent Comic Con panel that a Kratos-led God of War game is in the works.

While details have of course been kept light, Barlog revealed that this new entry will connect directly to the upcoming Laufey.

For the uninitiated, God of War Laufey is set concurrently with the events of 2018’s game – or at least it starts at the same point. Where the story of Laufey will go and where it will end up taking Faye, we will have to wait and find out.

Given that Kratos has already been confirmed to feature in Laufey to some degree however, things should become clearer once the game launches in February of next year.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of God of War Laufey? Are you looking forward to playing as Faye? How do you think it’ll tie into Kratos’ journey following Ragnarok / Valhalla? Let us know down below.

The God of War Laufey SDCC (San Diego Comic-Con) panel has delivered two big announcements: the game's release date and that another game featuring Kratos as the protagonist is in development. God of War Laufey was previously rumored to launch in the first half of 2027, more specifically between February and March. Well, there won't be much to wait for fans, as the game is now officially slated to debut on February 16, 2027, exclusively on PlayStation 5. As for the next Kratos game, Santa Monica Studio had already suggested there would be more stories featuring the titular God of […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/god-of-war-laufey-february-2027-kratos-sequel-cory-barlog/

Last week, we reported on the unfortunate news that production on Amazon’s live-action God of War show was being halted following an on-set injury by Kratos actor Ryan Hurst. While it was claimed at the time that this injury would require surgery, things seem to be a bit more serious than it initially appeared, with the role of Kratos now being entirely recast.

Initially reported by TMZ last week, the publication revealed that Kratos actor Ryan Hurst “tore his bicep while filming a stunt … and the injury requires surgery,” claiming at the time that production was being halted while he recovered.

Unfortunately, the situation has since evolved, with the publication Deadline now confirming that the role of Kratos is being recast. According to the report, Hurst’s injuries would require a minimum of 4-6 months of rest, with up to a year of waiting for a full recovery.

Given this, Sony / Amazon reportedly decided that “while Hurst’s full recovery is a priority, the period required for it was longer than the production shooting schedule could accommodate, leading to the difficult decision to recast the role.”

While the first image released of Hurst as Kratos left plenty to be desired in the eyes of many, the actor had been putting in the work for this role, reportedly gaining 40 pounds of muscle across multiple months of training.

Additionally, Hurst was already familiar with the source material, having voiced Thor in 2021’s God of War Ragnarok.
While we have yet to learn who will be replacing Hurst for the role of Kratos, production is said to be picking back up as soon as this October, and so we will likely hear more in the coming months.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Hurst’s casting? Who else do you think could play the role of Kratos? Let us know down below.

The Amazon Prime Video God of War TV series has hit a major snag as Kratos actor Ryan Hurst suffered an injury during production. More specifically, he reportedly tore a bicep in late June during a stunt (allegedly while carrying a tree); he has since undergone surgery, but the recovery period will take up to six months, making it unfeasible for the production to keep the actor. As such, the hard decision has been reversed to recast Kratos, partly because waiting for him would inevitably mean that young actor Callum Vinson, who's playing Kratos's son Atreus, would outgrow the childlike appearance the producers […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/god-of-war-delay-ryan-hurst-injury-recast/

Since as far back as 2022, we had been hearing rumours that Sony was in talks with Amazon to produce a live-action adaptation of PlayStation’s flagship God of War series. After a number of delays, filming for the project finally began earlier this year. Unfortunately, unlike Kratos himself, actor Ryan Hurst is not actually a god of war – and so production has now had to be halted following an on-set injury.

As reported by the publication TMZ, filming for the live-action God of War series has been paused temporarily due to the show’s star ‘Ryan Hurst’ receiving an injury on set.

As of now, details remain light, but according to TMZ, Hurst “tore his bicep while filming a stunt … and the injury requires surgery.”

While the nature of the scene being filmed was not shared, the God of War games have Kratos doing all sorts of intense action scenes on a moment-to-moment basis. Even during something basic like general combat, swinging the Leviathan axe as Kratos could lead to potential injuries.

Either way, here’s to hoping that the surgery isn’t too serious and that Hurst is back to feeling 100% sooner rather than later.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for the live-action God of War? What do you think of Hurst’s casting? Let us know down below.

Ever since Cory Barlog successfully revived the God of War series back in 2018, there had been various leaks and rumours surrounding what the creator was working on next. Finally, during Sony’s recent State of Play Showcase, the spin-off / side-quel God of War Laufey was officially announced – following the journey of Faye in the wake of her death. Despite coming years on from GoW 2018’s sequel ‘Ragnarok’ Laufey was apparently always part of the plan, with the project being first pitched almost a decade ago.

Taking part in an interview with the publication CGMagazine, Deborah Ann Woll (who plays Faye in the God of War soft-reboot) sat down to discuss her various roles throughout the years.

In looking towards the future however, Woll was asked about the recent official unveiling of God of War Laufey. Speaking on how it felt for the project to be finally announced, Woll claimed: “Oh my God, I can't tell you. I still pinch myself. You know, again, I've known about this for nearly ten years, and I haven't been able to talk about it.”

When asked for clarification of this statement, Woll revealed that GoW creative director Cory Barlog “pitched it to me in 2018, and they had known about it before then. It's wild. Like when Cory brought me in to talk about doing Ragnarök and show me the 2018 game, he already had a poster for the Laufey game with me and a cube. A cube that's been there since the beginning. It's deeply a part of the lore.”

As mentioned, God of War Laufey is a side-quel of sorts, taking place concurrently with the timeline of 2018’s GOTY-winning narrative. Following Faye in the wake of her death (an event which kicks off the entire plot of the 2018 title), Laufey does look set to be a major addition to the lore and world-building of the franchise.

Even so, it is surprising to learn that this project has been in the works to some degree for pretty much a decade. Hopefully this means that Laufey will not only tie into the previous two entries in a seamless manner, but can actually help to round out what was already an excellent duology.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this revelation? Does it make you reassess the past two games in any way? Could it be the best God of War game yet? Let us know your thoughts down below.

For years, we have been hearing that Sony Santa Monica were working on a mysterious project, seemingly tied to the God of War franchise while also being its own thing. Finally, we have gotten confirmation on what this project is, with PlayStation officially announcing God of War Laufey – a spin-off starring Kratos’ wife Faye following her death during the opening of 2018’s God of War.

Officially announced during PlayStation’s State of Play as part of a 20-minute long gameplay demonstration, God of War Laufey follows Faye in the immediacy following her funeral at the start of 2018’s GOW entry.

“Awakening unexpectedly in a strange land after her funeral” this new protagonist must fight her way “through the afterlife of the gods – the Everywhen – where ruthless gods from across mythology vie for power in a land overflowing with dangerous magic.”

Based on the gameplay shared, Laufy features a similar-yet-different approach to combat, with Faye being equally as fast as she is strong. Wielding a mysterious sword and her magic abilities, Laufey is said to combine “the movement and fluidity of the Greek era with the Norse era’s approach to world-building and close ties with characters.”

Those who played through God of War Ragnarok may recognise that Sony Santa Monica were already messing around with different combat styles in their last game, and so this successor feels like a natural evolution in this regard.

Perhaps the biggest surprise came with the reveal that Faye will not be going on this journey alone. Similar to the prior two entries, Laufey will include a couple permanent companions: The cosmic cube ‘Phranque’ (played by Jack Quaid of The Boys fame) and an enchanted ribbon ‘Rue’ (played by Perlina Lau).

Despite being set in the God of War universe, Laufey does in many ways feel like its own sub-series, and so it will be interesting to see where the story goes, and how it ties into the events of 2018’s God of War and Ragnarok. Additional details, including interviews with the cast, director and more can be found HERE.

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KitGuru says: What did you think of the State of Play? Are you excited for God of War Laufey? Could this be the start of a whole new franchise? Let us know down below.

For years now, fans have been wondering what Sony Santa Monica’s Cory Barlog has been working on, with previous leaks and rumours suggesting that it would be a new IP in a Sci-Fi setting. Recent reports from industry insiders however have since shed some light on the matter, claiming the mystery project to be a God of War spin-off with Kratos’ wife Faye as the lead. Following this, we’ve now gotten additional details, including suggestions that the game will tackle multiple mythologies.

Following leaks back in March which claimed that Sony Santa Monica’s next project is a God of War spin-off focused on Kratos’ late wife Faye which would “differ from the Norse God of War games with more of a focus on action,” we’ve now gotten some additional details pertaining to this rumoured 2027 title.

According to a new report from the publication mp1st, this upcoming spin-off will deviate from the past two title’s Norse-based mythologies, ‘confirming’ that “elements from Chinese and Japanese mythologies will be part of a new entry in the series.”

Of course, while the OG God of War games tackled Greek Mythology and the recent duology took Kratos to Midgard (and the Norse realms as a whole), Sony Santa Monica have teased the existence of other mythologies in-game and so such a shift would not be surprising.

Regardless, we should hopefully learn about this mysterious project sooner rather than later, with insider Tom Henderson recently claiming that an official announcement could be arriving as soon as this month. We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to this potential spin-off? How different would you like it to be compared to the Norse era games? Let us know down below.

For years now, fans have been wondering what Sony Santa Monica’s Cory Barlog has been working on, with previous leaks and rumours suggesting that it would be a new IP in a Sci-Fi setting. As we get closer to the project’s supposed reveal, insiders have claimed that Barlog’s upcoming game is in fact still set in the God of War universe – but will instead focus on Faye as the main character.

As reported by multiple insiders, the next project set to be announced by Sony Santa Monica will in fact be another God of War game; albeit not starring Kratos.

According to Wccftech and NatetheHate, this new project will serve as its own franchise, though will not include Kratos nor Atreus as the lead. Instead, this new franchise will follow Faye – Kratos’ wife and Atreus’ mother – presumably prior to her death.

Narrative-wise, very little has been shared, with Faye herself being a pretty mysterious character throughout the events of God of War Ragnarok. With regards to gameplay however, the insiders have suggested that it would “differ from the Norse God of War games with more of a focus on action.”

While much of the project remains a mystery, we hopefully won’t have to wait long to learn about the game officially, with the current plan reportedly being a reveal this year, followed by its launch in the first half of 2027.

While many were hoping to see Sony Santa Monica take a step away from God of War (at least temporarily), Faye as a character presents the team with tons of opportunities to take the series to new and unexpected places.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of these leaked details? Does the project excite you? Would you have preferred the game to focus on a different GOW character? Let us know down below.

It looks like the secret is finally out of the bag: Cory Barlog's "new" IP, previously rumored to be sci-fi-themed, is actually an expansion of the existing God of War universe with a new franchise. The confirmation came from a LinkedIn profile (spotted on the ResetEra board) of a Senior Writer who worked remotely at Sony Santa Monica between August 2020 and September 2025, writing on their resume: Helped shape narrative vision and creative direction at Sony Santa Monica Studio for a new franchise within the God of War universe, developing characters, storylines, and original lore that expanded the acclaimed […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/god-of-war-universe-expand-new-franchise-cory-barlog-ip/

We have our first look at the upcoming live-action God of War series set to air on Amazon Prime. Unfortunately, the reveal hasn't gone down entirely well.

The first in-character shot of Kratos and his son, Atreus, has been released as part of an early marketing push for the God of War TV series. The show was already ordered for two seasons and it is expected that these seasons will follow the events of the 2018 God of War game and its 2022 sequel, God of War: Ragnarok.

The official synopsis for the show says: “Father and son Kratos and Atreus embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.”

There is no word yet on when the first season will premiere but if filming is happening now, then chances are we will be watching the first episode in around a year's time.

KitGuru Says: While this isn't necessarily a frame-grab from a fully shot and edited scene, it does give us an idea of the costume and make-up design. I expect the final show to look better with all of the special effects in place.

God of War: Sons of Sparta plays it safe when no other entry had done so before. A Metroid-like handled by an indie studio might not be what you expected in 2026 but I enjoy seeing smaller studios try and give a unique spin on existing franchises.

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/god-of-war-sons-of-sparta-review-with-it-or-on-it/

Sony Santa Monica recently had a big presence at PlayStation’s State of Play, with the studio confirming that they are working on a remake of the classic God of War Trilogy, with Kratos’ original voice actor TC Carson returning to reprise his role. In a slight teaser, the VA for Kratos in the recent Norse duology – Christopher Judge – revealed that his next project with SSM could be announced as soon as this Summer.

Talking to a fan during a recent convention appearance, Christopher Judge was asked whether he would be playing the role of Kratos in the newly-announced remake trilogy. Judge reaffirmed that TC Carson is returning for the trilogy, however did tease that “you'll hear about what we're doing, probably late summer.”

Interestingly, Judge kept things vague and so it remains to be seen whether he is referring to another God of War entry. This lines up with recent leaks from insiders which claimed that Sony Santa Monica’s next game would be revealed this Summer alongside a 2027 release date.

That said, it is expected that this title won’t be God of War related, and so perhaps Judge is set to take on a different role in this new game? We will have to wait and see, but it isn’t too uncommon for leads in one game to have a smaller role in the studio’s next. Regardless, hearing more of Christopher Judge’s voicing talents will be exciting – whether or not it is in the context of God of War.

KitGuru says: What do you think Christopher Judge is teasing? Are you hoping Sony Santa Monica is working on something other than God of War? Let us know down below.