Dave Bautista Steps Into God of War’s Lead Role

Dave Bautista has closed his deal to play Kratos in Amazon Prime Video’s God of War series, taking over after original star Ryan Hurst was injured on set. Hurst tore a bicep in late June, four months into the shoot, and the surgery and recovery he needed would have pushed his return into 2027.

Hurst is best known for Gerry Bertier in Remember the Titans and Opie Winston in Sons of Anarchy. He had also previously played Thor in the God of War Ragnarök video game, the same franchise he was set to lead on screen.

He played Drax in six Marvel films and Rabban in Dune and Dune: Part Two, with a supporting turn in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. He has worked with Amazon before too, appearing in the two My Spy movies and The Wrecking Crew, with Highlander and Road House 2 still to come.

He is also Filipino American. His father was born to Filipino immigrant parents, and Bautista built his name in WWE before moving into acting.

Prep is already underway, with filming set to resume in Vancouver by mid October. The series has a two season order, with both seasons shooting back to back.