Prime Video's God of War adaptation recently took a big step forward with the addition of Emmy-winning director Frederick E.O. Toye (Shōgun, The Boys), who will helm the first two episodes.
Ronald D. Moore has been developing this take on the critically acclaimed PlayStation franchise since last Fall, following a creative overhaul that saw him take over as showrunner, writer, and executive producer. God of War already has a two-season order and will adapt the franchise's recent entries, revolving around Kratos and his son, Atreus.
While we'd expected the series to focus on the first game, it seems the plan is to borrow from that and the sequel, God of War: Ragnarok.
According to scooper Daniel Richtman (via GameFragger.com), Max Parker (Vampire Academy) is in talks to play Baldur, while Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Severance) is being considered for the role of Thor.
While Baldur played a big role in God of War, it wasn't until God of War: Ragnarok that Thor stepped into the spotlight, along with Odin and various other characters from Asgardian mythology. There's still no word on who will play Kratos, though Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista remains a fan-favourite choice among many fans.
In the world of God of War, Baldur has been cursed by his mother, Freya, to feel nothing. Believing Kratos and Atreus can end his torment, he's a major antagonist. As for Thor, he serves as Odin's enforcer, but is filled with turmoil over his actions.
Earlier this week, Deadline reported that, "God of War follows father and son Kratos and Atreus — the roles that are now casting — as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human."
While some fans are disappointed that God of War won't adapt the early games—which largely explored Greek mythology—there's heaps of storytelling potential by focusing on this era of Kratos' story.
"The tone of the show is trying to emulate the tone of the game, which is there's this epic journey, this heartfelt story of these two men setting out on this thing to honor the memory of his wife, Atreus’ mother," Moore previously said. "So it has this emotional heart, but there's this sense of history of who Kratos is, this mystery about his past, what he represents, the emotions that he's going through."
"So there's a weight to it, but not so much weight that there's not enjoyment along the way and there's spectacle and there's lots of things going on in this world."
"We want to honor the game and what they laid out for Atreus’ journey," the showrunner continued. "Here's a young man who doesn't know his father very well, that sets out on this mission, and along the way they learn about each other."
Stay tuned for more on God of War as we have it.