God of War's Kratos still watches iconic reveal trailer: 'it gives me chills'
In 2018 the God of War series benefited from a soft reboot inspired by Norse mythology. In it, we’re introduced to a Kratos who has another chance of being a good father, thanks to his son, Atreus. God of War (2018) was a shift in storytelling focusing a bit less on brutality and more on character development.
God of War comes with a level of hype and expectations that many other properties can only dream of, so surely, Christopher Judge felt a huge weight on his shoulders to deliver on these expectations, especially as the new voice of Kratos.
Check out the God of War Ragnarök trailer below!
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“When I landed the role, I had no idea it was God of War. When you audition for big roles, a code name is often used, so sometimes, I don't know what I’m auditioning for. You only get rudimentary character descriptions to work with,” explains Christopher with fellow cast members by his side, Sunny Suljic (Atreus), Alastair Duncan (Mimir) and Danielle Bisutti (Freya) during an exclusive press interview at MCM Comic-Con in Birmingham, UK.
“My son read parts of the script to help me prepare and he said ‘Dad, I think this might be for God of War’ and I replied ‘No, that can’t be right, that’s a video game, my agent knows that I don’t audition for video games,’ Christopher explains. “However, when I auditioned with Sunny for our chemistry tests, my agent confirmed that it was in fact for God of War.”
Despite the video game industry evolving over the years from the quality of storytelling to production and increased revenue, some actors may have seen video games beneath the likes of big-budget movies but that is no longer the case.
“Years ago, there was a stigma to video game acting. Similar to how some movie actors may have seen television work,” Christopher tells me. “Sometimes, it could have been a sign that your career was coming to an end. But now, the way some video games are produced, it’s very similar to movies and TV productions.”
“Initially, I wasn't convinced that God of War was going to be for me, even though my chemistry test with Sunny went great. Then I saw the script and it was one of the best scripts I’ve ever read,” Christopher exclaims. “At that moment, my fears and perceptions were extinguished.”
Christopher explained to me that he never knew a lot about the God of War series or how important it was to fans. Yet, that changed the moment he felt the fan reaction when its first gameplay trailer was revealed at E3 2016.
“I was backstage with Cory Barlog and when Kratos emerged from the shadow in his home with Atreus, I felt and heard that eruption from the live audience. It was at that moment that I felt the weight of the series and how beloved Kratos is. Now, if I’m having a bad day, I watch that reveal trailer and it automatically elevates my mood. It still gives me the chills to this very day.”
The loss of Kratos’ family as portrayed in the original God of War, drove the demigod to be a ruthless god slayer, a vengeance felt by the Gods of Olympus, and a wrath that even his father, Zeus had felt. In God of War (2018), Kratos’ character evolves into someone more compassionate and considers the consequences of his actions (mostly).
Kratos now has a second chance at fatherhood thanks to his Atreus. Don't get me wrong, Kratos is still as ruthless as he needs to be, but with Atreus, he wants to be better and this aspect is something that Christopher can relate to.
“Kratos’ journey is similar to my own in some ways. Life is about redemption, forgiveness and breaking cycles. As a father, all we want is for our children to be better than us. You can't do that just by talking. You’ve got to show your children how to be better,” he says.
“When I began my journey as Kratos, I was going through a huge transition in my personal life. My youngest son had just gone to college and I was broken but having that relationship with Sunny helped ease what I was going through because our relationship has been so real since day one. Having that parallel journey of playing Kratos and what was happening in my personal life, was a blessing emotionally and spiritually.”
Reflecting on his journey as Atreus, Sunny shares that he too resonates with his character. “Atreus is impulsive, impatient and wants things immediately. I feel that’s where I was as a person when I first started portraying the character for the 2018 game. I also felt a bit lost, similar to Atreus, which carried over into God of War Ragnarök.”
“Like Atreus, I had to find my own way but being part of this series helped me grow personally and I was able to implement my creative input taken from my life experiences. Also, having such good people to work with, I’ve been having the best time.”
One of the most memorable characters in the series from 2018 is Mimir, dubbed “the smartest man alive,” who is literally at Kratos’ side throughout. Mimir is as wise as he is funny and understandably, a role that Alastair has had a lot of fun with and feels a connection with.
“I get to play a character that has meaningful things to say. Playing a character with so much depth is a lot of fun. But I must get one thing straight, I was never actually hanging off Chris’ arse during production,” Alastair jokes. “All characters of this series have a lot of depth too, not just Kratos, Atreus, Freya or Mimir. “Richard Schiff who plays Odin said that this is the best work he’s done in 10 years.”
“The story between Brok and Sindri is so powerful and when you have that kind of depth and passion throughout the team, it’s an absolute joy to be part of it. A lot of the themes in God of War are so moving and much of that is about loss,” Duncan recalls. “I’ve reached an age where I’ve encountered a lot of loss in my life. Family and friends, death is sadly a part of all our lives. And when we all have that connection as a team, everybody comes together and it gives performances more meaning.”
There is a strong bond between the God of War cast, a feeling I felt during the interview. A connection like that can not be taken for granted and is no doubt a major contributing factor as to why this cast can deliver such strong performances and sometimes, blurring the lines between performance and real life.
“Echoing the words of these extraordinary and fine gentlemen, I feel that we all have a soul contract with each other,” Danielle says. “There are parallels in my life and with Freya. Chris uses his experiences as a father to connect with Atreus. Sunny grew up right before our eyes and he was able to use that to deliver his performance.”
“We are all able to bring maturity and pull something from our own lives into the characters and it’s a beautiful gift when you’re able to use those feelings, whether it's happy, sad, or regrets as well as what Chris said earlier about redemption and forgiveness. We were allowed to bring those gifts from our lives to God of War and being able to do that for our characters is wonderful.”
Freya’s attitude towards Kratos drastically changed from God of War (2018) to Ragnarök. Freya is a goddess of beauty, love and fertility. However, as peaceful as this compassionate Goddess can be, she’s not only a Goddess of War and leader of the Valkyries, but she’s also a mother and any mother knows, you don't put their children in harm's way.
In Ragnarök, Kratos encountered a wrath he had not contended with before, the wrath of a mother. “Freya sets the bar on forgiveness and the importance of being truthful and honest,” Danielle explains. “There were times when her bitterness drove her agony, her vengeance and channelled her thirst for revenge.”
“Knowing where Freya was in God of War (2018) and how her story was left, when I read the script for Ragnarök, I was able to express her rage and pain. Freya goes through a transformative journey of understanding the importance of taking responsibility for her choices. She’s eventually able to forgive and become the queen and mother that she wanted to be. To become a true Goddess and be able to play that role, was huge for me.”
As my time comes to an end with the cast of God of War, Christopher reflects on his journey with the team. “It has been a gift,” he says. “When I look back, and I hope I speak for everyone, this journey has not only produced some phenomenal work but from the very first day, it’s been fun, every single day we’ve laughed.”
“Playing Kratos and being part of this team has ruined me because it's now all I want to do. I drive my agent mad because unless he can guarantee something like this, I’m not interested. If you enjoy your work, you’ll never work a day in your life. Every day on this has been enjoyable and fulfilling. It’s an embarrassment of riches,” Christopher concludes.
Hopefully, God of War Ragnarök will not be the end of the journey for this cast.
Topics: God Of War, Santa Monica Studio, Sony, Features, Interview, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5