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Dave Bautista tipped to take on God of War's Kratos role after injury forced role recast
The production is hoping to get back on track as soon as possible.
Craig Barritt / Getty Images for Amazon / Sony Santa Monica
- David Craig
Published: Tuesday, 4 August 2026 at 10:33 am
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Marvel icon Dave Bautista is in talks to take on the lead role in Prime Video's upcoming God of War series – based on the long-running PlayStation games – after an on-set injury forced an urgent recast.
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The upcoming project, led by For All Mankind creator Ronald D Moore, draws inspiration from the latest iteration of the franchise, which shifted focus from Greek to Norse mythology, adopting a more mature, cinematic tone in the process.
The story, to be told across two seasons, follows Kratos and his son, Atreus (Callum Vinson), as they "embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye". Along the way, profound lessons are learned by both of them.
The adaptation suffered a major setback in June, when original Kratos actor Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy, The Odyssey) suffered a torn bicep during filming, which will require a lengthy period of recovery time.
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Prime Video and partner Sony Television opted to recast Kratos, and thus reshoot all of his scenes so far, rather than wait until Hurst was fit enough to return to the role. A first-look image of Hurst and co-star Vinson had previously been unveiled (see below).
According to Variety, Bautista is currently in talks to take over for Hurst in the fan-favourite role, which would be only the latest prolific genre gig for the former WWE star.
(L-R) Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson star in God of War. Leah Gallo / Prime Video
Perhaps best known as Drax the Destroyer in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films – a role he has suggested is wrapped up – Bautista has also appeared in Blade Runner 2049, 007: Spectre, Dune and Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead.
In those roles and others, the actor has shown his imposing physicality as well as thriving in moments of quiet sensitivity, both of which would put him in good stead for this potential gig.
For now, though, fans enthused by these reports should keep their fingers crossed, as the deal is not yet finalised. But with God of War already pressed for time, we can expect a decision to be reported very soon.
God of War is coming soon to Prime Video. Sign up for Amazon Prime for £8.99 a month.
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Authors
David CraigSenior Drama Writer
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
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