The live-action God of War series has been confirmed for some time now, but things are finally starting to move forward, with filming set to start in March 2026. Before that major milestone next year, there's a lot to do, including finding the right person to play Kratos himself.
The game's protagonist is a unique character (to say the least), an absolute mountain of muscle and frustration that isn't really designed to be a human being in any real sense of the word. As such, practical effects and CGI are going to have to do some of the heavy lifting in terms of appearance, but it's still important to cast someone who can at least sound and act like the Kratos we know and love.
Now, according to TV insider John Campea, who has previously proved reliable when providing leaks around Spider-Man: No Way Home & Keanu Reeves being cast as Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, there are currently eight actors in the running to take up the mantle of the God of War.
Winston Duke, Joe Manganiello, Christopher Judge, Manu Bennet, Jason Momoa, Travis Fimmel, Oliver Ritchers and Dave Bautista are the current leading candidates, Campea says, though it's unclear who of those is currently being favoured by the production team.
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It's probably a good idea to point out here that, whilst Christopher Judge is an amazing Kratos in the games, he has been through several health issues in recent years that could preclude him from such a demanding physical role, including back, knee and double hip surgery.
The rest of the list does seem reasonable though, and fans were quick to weigh in with their thoughts over on Reddit.
"Batista and Momoa feel way to busy for this show. I had to remind myself who Manu Bennett was, he played Deathstroke in Arrow. I kinda like Travis Fimmel for it because he was damn good in Vikings," one said.
"I think Joe Manganiello could work for young Kratos, but don't think he has the mass for older Kratos. My money is on either Winston Duke or Dave Bautista," another added.
With filming set to begin in just six months, Amazon are going to have to get moving fairly quickly to make sure everything's in place to avoid delays. With so much expectation around the show's protagonist, that feels like the biggest decision they have to make ahead of entering production proper.
Topics: God Of War, PlayStation