Actor and former WWE superstar Dave Bautista has been cast as Kratos in the upcoming God of War television series, replacing Ryan Hurst, who left the production after sustaining an injury.
Bautista confirmed the long-rumoured casting on Instagram, sharing an image of the iconic video game character, ending weeks of speculation over who would lead the adaptation of Sony’s popular PlayStation franchise.
According to Deadline, which first reported the development, production on the series will restart from scratch when filming begins later this year.
The God of War franchise has been one of Sony’s most successful gaming series since its debut on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. Initially inspired by Greek mythology, the action-adventure game gained a massive following for its cinematic storytelling, intense combat and the journey of its central character, Kratos, a Spartan warrior who rises to become a god.
The franchise underwent a major reboot in 2018 on PlayStation 4, shifting its storyline from Greek mythology to Norse mythology while introducing Kratos’ son, Atreus, as a central character.
Earlier this year, the first official images from the television adaptation featured Hurst as Kratos alongside Atreus before the actor’s departure from the project.
Prime Video said the series will closely follow the storyline of the 2018 game, with Kratos and Atreus embarking on a journey to fulfil the final wish of Kratos’ late wife by spreading her ashes.
‘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,’ the streaming platform said.
Bautista, 57, has established himself as a successful Hollywood actor since retiring from professional wrestling in 2019. He is widely recognised for portraying Drax in six Marvel Cinematic Universe films and has also appeared in Dune, Dune: Part Two, Spectre, Army of the Dead and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Before transitioning to acting, Bautista spent two decades in professional wrestling, becoming one of WWE’s biggest stars and a multiple-time world champion.