The news that Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista had taken over the role of Kratos from Ryan Hurst in Prime Video's God of War TV series was met with a largely very positive response from fans of the hit PlayStation franchise.
Despite that, there were some inevitable grumblings about him playing the hulking Spartan, given that he's no longer the behemoth fans remember from his professional wrestling career and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, those fears were later put to rest when the actor revealed his bulked-up physique to play the warrior.
In a new Instagram Story (first shared on SFFGazette.com), Bautista shared an update with fans, confirming that he's gained 20lbs for God of War. At the same time, he revealed a glimpse of the beard he's growing to accurately portray how Kratos looks during this era of the games.
The Dune star shocked everyone a few years ago when he showed off his much slimmer frame. At the time, he explained, "I started slimming down because I was uncomfortably big. Now looking back at it, I probably overdid it. At the time, I was just thinking, 'I gotta get big, I gotta get big.' I’ve sacrificed a lot of muscle. But I’m okay with it, because I just feel more comfortable."
As a reminder, Hurst was reportedly forced to walk away from God of War after a bicep tear. However, there's been speculation that the negative backlash to that first-look photo might have played a role in Amazon deciding to recast Kratos.
God of War, which has received a two-season order, follows father and son Kratos and Atreus 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.
The cast is led by Dave Bautista as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus, with Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, Danny Woodburn as Brok, and Teresa Palmer as Sif.
God of War is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions. Ronald D. Moore serves as showrunner, executive producer, and writer.
Additional executive producers include Maril Davis, Cory Barlog, Naren Shankar, Matthew Graham, Asad Qizilbash, Jeff Ketcham, Hermen Hulst, Roy Lee, and Brad Van Arragon. Joe Menosky, Marc Bernardin, Tania Lotia, and Ben McGinnis serve as co-executive producers on the series.
God of War was expected to premiere on Prime Video in 2027, but could shift to 2028 after switching out its lead star.