The 'God Of War' TV series has just suffered a crushing blow as Ryan Hurst, the actor cast as Kratos, is out for the count – at least temporarily. The talented thespian thorwed his bicep in half during filming last month, and while surgery's been done, the road to recovery will be a long one: four to six months, to be exact.
Now, Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television are facing a difficult decision – recast the role of Kratos, or risk delaying production further. Sources close to the show indicate that Hurst's full recovery is their top priority, but with four episodes already done featuring him as the godly protagonist, those scenes will have to be reshot when production gets back on track in mid-October.
Hurst was announced alongside Callum Vinson as Kratos' son, Atreus, in January. The news was met with a warm welcome from Christopher Judge, the voice actor behind Kratos in the games – and a notable departure from his earlier criticism of Dave Bautista being touted for the role. Other big-name cast members include Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Max Parker as Heimdall, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, and Ed Skrein as the antagonist Baldur.
The show's drawing inspiration from the hit video games 'God Of War' (2018) and 'Ragnarok', promising a poignant journey with Kratos and Atreus spreading Faye's ashes. It's a story of father-son bonding, where Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god while Atreus shows him how to be a better human.
With Prime Video on board for two seasons, Ronald D. Moore at the helm as showrunner, and no release date yet confirmed, fans are eagerly awaiting the epic Norse mythology-inspired saga that promises to bring the games' magic to a wider audience – despite some fears about its faithfulness to the source material.
Moore has admitted he's not a 'God Of War' gamer himself, which has sparked concern among some devotees hoping for an authentic adaptation. But with the games' cultural impact and success already massive, this series has the potential to conquer new ground – if it can overcome this latest hurdle.