Dave Bautista officially cast as Kratos in Amazon's 'God of War' TV Series, replaces Ryan Hurst

Q: Why is Dave Bautista replacing Ryan Hurst as Kratos in Amazon’s God of War series?

Dave Bautista is replacing Ryan Hurst because Hurst tore a bicep on set and needed surgery, forcing Amazon to recast the role. Production will reshoot the four episodes already completed with Hurst as Kratos.

Q: Will the four episodes already filmed with Ryan Hurst be reshot with Dave Bautista?

Yes. The primary article says production has to reshoot the four episodes already completed with Ryan Hurst, and filming will continue in Vancouver with Dave Bautista stepping in as Kratos. (Related 1: "Amazon's God of War series is recasting Kratos after Ryan Hurst suffered an on-set injury".)

Q: How will Bautista’s physical appearance affect production since Hurst had gained 40 pounds for the role?

Bautista’s built, muscular presence makes him a natural fit to match the physicality Ryan Hurst achieved by putting on 40 pounds, and that alignment helps the production maintain Kratos’s imposing look. The switch still requires reshooting the four completed episodes with Hurst in the role, which will push the schedule (see "Amazon's God of War series is recasting Kratos after Ryan Hurst suffered an on-set injury").

Q: Why is Amazon searching for older actors to play Atreus and Thrud now?

Amazon is looking for older actors to play Atreus and Thrud because the show will apparently include a time skip, requiring older versions of those characters. Production urgency is increased because season two filming is expected to start right after season one wraps, leaving little room to sort casting changes.

Dave Bautista is officially the new Kratos in Amazon's God of War series, stepping in after Ryan Hurst's on-set injury forced a recast.

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Hassam Nasir

Tech Reporter

Published Aug 21, 2026 4:10 PM CDT

1 minute & 15 seconds read time

TL;DR: Dave Bautista will play Kratos in Amazon's God of War series, replacing Ryan Hurst after Hurst tore a bicep and required surgery; production in Vancouver must reshoot four episodes, filming continues, the series adapts the 2018 game with Atreus, and no release date has been set.

Voice: Hassam NasirSpeed

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Amazon has officially confirmed its new Kratos. Former WWE superstar Dave Bautista is taking over the lead role in the God of War TV series, replacing Ryan Hurst after Hurst tore a bicep on set and needed surgery, according to a report from Variety.

Bautista had been rumored for the part for a few weeks, and the switch means production has to reshoot the four episodes already completed with Hurst in the role. Filming had been underway in Vancouver since February, and it'll continue there with Bautista stepping in as the lead.

Dave Bautista officially cast as Kratos in Amazon's 'God of War' TV Series, replaces Ryan Hurst 1

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Hurst had reportedly put on 40 pounds of muscle to fill out the part, and there aren't many actors who can walk onto a set with that kind of physical presence already built in. Bautista, a former WWE wrestler known for playing Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, seems like a natural fit for the same reason, even after slimming down for other recent roles.

Read more: Amazon's God of War series is recasting Kratos after Ryan Hurst suffered an on-set injury

The series follows the story of the 2018 God of War game, with Kratos and his son Atreus traveling through Midgard to scatter his wife's ashes. A second season is expected to pick up Ragnarök's story afterward. Ronald D. Moore is showrunner, and the existing cast includes Callum Vinson as Atreus, along with Mandy Patinkin, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, and Ed Skrein in supporting roles.

Dave Bautista officially cast as Kratos in Amazon's 'God of War' TV Series, replaces Ryan Hurst 2

There's also word that Amazon is now looking for older actors to play Atreus and Thrud, since the show will apparently include a time skip somewhere down the line. Season two filming is expected to start right after season one wraps, so the production team doesn't have much room to sort all of this out.

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