God of War Creator Says TV Show Looks Like Kratos is "S—ing in the Woods"
Topics: Amazon, TV And Film, Sony, PlayStation, God Of War, Santa Monica Studio
Featured Image Credit: Prime Video
Topics: Amazon, TV And Film, Sony, PlayStation, God Of War, Santa Monica Studio
God of War creator slams TV show first look, and says it looks like Kratos is s******g in the woods, and he’s not wrong.
Last week, we got our first look at the new live-action God of War series from Amazon, and while the officially released image was very authentic in various ways, it was, at the same time, quite disappointing.
The God of War series is an all-time favourite of mine, and criticism doesn't come easy, especially when the image in question of Kratos and Atreus being faithful to its source material, at least compared to the 2018 soft reboot. However, something doesn't quite sit right with it.
Come to think of it, when I say “something doesn't quite sit right”, it looks like Kratos is doing just that, as he seemingly squats in position for an imminent disposal as his son, Atreus, lines up a shot with his bow and arrow.
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Look, I’m all for authenticity and following the source material for live-action video game adaptations. Heck, as an obsessed Resident Evil fan, that’s all I’ve ever wanted with its woeful movies, as well as its pitiful Netflix series.
That being said, as great as following the source material can be, I think it’s fair to expect some form of new spin, and I feel that’s what the image that Amazon released of Kratos and Atreus lacks.
Sadly, in my humble opinion, as much as I love Ryan Hurst, who played Thor in God of War Ragnarök, he doesn't look quite right.
Don’t get me wrong, he kinda looks the part, and I have no doubts that he can pull off the gruff Kratos voice.
However, Kratos is a badass, jacked demigod who probably has big muscles in his ears. Ryan Hurst is in far better shape than I could ever be in, but in that respect, he doesn't fit the Kratos mould. Thankfully, there is plenty of time for that to change.
As for the Atreus actor, played by the talented Callum Vinson, he really has no resemblance to Atreus from the games, other than the outfit and gear he’s been provided with for the photo.
That’s not a knock on the kid, because it’s Amazon that chooses the casting, but I’m rooting for Vinson to knock the role out of the park and at least capture the essence of Atreus. Something that Bella Ramsey failed to do with Ellie in season two of HBO’s The Last of Us, in my opinion.
As reported by Variety, one of the individuals credited for creating the God of War series, David Jaffe, the former creative director and lead designer on the first two games in the series at Santa Monica Studio, says that it looks like Kratos is “ s******g in the woods”, and now that he’s said that, it cannot be unseen.
Father and Son. Behold your first look at Kratos and Atreus in the God of War series now in production for @primevideo. Their journey to the highest peak begins. pic.twitter.com/iDzyuSpl5A
— God of War (@godofwaronprime) February 27, 2026
It’s worth mentioning that Jaffe wasn't being critical of Hurst or Vinson, but instead blamed those in charge of taking the image and then releasing it to garner hype from fans and those new to the franchise.
“I’m sure everybody’s trying real hard, [but] it’s so dumb,” exclaimed Jaffe. “But let’s be incredibly clear, okay? Two things can be true. This can be a terrible image, and it is. It’s so bad in so many ways, which we’ll talk about in a moment. And Ron Moore is awesome, who is the showrunner. This guy is a juggernaut of a talented fellow. I have absolutely no doubt it is going to be a good show.”
Jaffe continued: “Kratos in this pose with this expression, not the guy’s face, but this expression, he just looks stupid. If you’re going to reveal, to most people, a brand new character that you hope is going to carry your series, for the first time, and they’ve never really seen this before, and this is the way you introduce them?”
“Maybe that’s conscious. Maybe they’re like, ‘Well, what we really want to focus on is the father-son story. And if we focus on him being like, Spartan rage, and all that, maybe people are like, ‘I don’t want to watch that show.’ Ok maybe. But then, at that point, could you find a picture that doesn’t look like he’s s******g in the woods? Cause that’s what the picture looks like.”
As for the rest of the cast that we know of so far, most notably, Ed Skrein plays Baldur, Teresa Palmer is Sif, Mandy Patinkin is Odin, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson is Thor, and Alastair Duncan reprises the role of Mimir.
At the time of writing, the God of War series from Amazon has only entered production this February, so it might be safe to assume that its arrival is a year or two away. We’ll keep you posted when we learn more.
In the meantime, God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarök on PC and PlayStation should help to keep us busy.