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It’s official, “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Dave Bautista will play Kratos in the Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game “God of War”.
The confirmation comes just over two weeks after reports first emerged about him being in talks for the role. Bautista replaces Ryan Hurst, who was originally set as Kratos before he tore a bicep while performing a stunt on set in late June, four months into the shoot.
The series paused production immediately following the incident and remains on hiatus. The recovery time is unclear, but for a serious bicep tear it’s usually at least 4-6 months, with full strength taking up to a year to reach.
After careful consideration, Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios opted to recast the role, as the production shooting schedule simply couldn’t accommodate a year-long wait, along with the fact that the role requires intense physicality.
Bautista is seen as ideal, as his extensive background as a wrestler would allow him to step into a physically demanding role such as Kratos with limited preparation given the tight schedule.
Added to that, he bulked up for the “Highlander” remake, which just wrapped filming.
Prep is underway for a mid-October production start in Vancouver, where the show has been based. Both seasons of the series are being shot back-to-back, and that remains the plan. All scenes featuring Hurst will now have to be reshot.
The cast also includes Callum Vinson as Atreus, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri and Danny Woodburn as Brok.
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