Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios have announced today that Ryan Hurst will play Kratos in Prime Video's upcoming God of War TV series.
The actor is no stranger to the franchise, as he played Thor in PlayStation's God of War Ragnarök, meaning he brings established familiarity with this epic tale to the role of Kratos. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his performance as the Thunder God.
Hurst recently wrapped shooting Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey opposite Matt Damon and Tom Holland. He's perhaps best known for his work on the FX smash hit Sons of Anarchy. The actor also recently starred in the Disney+ television series, Mysterious Benedict Society.
In the games, Kratos was originally voiced by T.C. Carson before Christopher Judge took over the role.
The titular character of the entire franchise, Kratos, is Spartan by birth and a god by nature. Raised in a martial culture, he rose to command armies in the service of his homeland until one day he made a fateful deal with Ares, the Greek God of War and lost his soul in exchange for being victorious in battle. Over the course of ten wildly successful games, Kratos vanquished mortals, creatures and gods alike.
In the process, he became an iconic character in pop culture, known for his stoic nature, unchallenged combat skills, and tragic past. In God of War, the live-action series, his story will closely follow the path of the last two games as he deals with something new: his ten-year-old son, Atreus. This father and son dynamic began a whole new chapter in the legendary series and will be the heartbeat of the new show.
Based on PlayStation's hugely popular ancient mythology-themed video game, Prime Video's God of War series has received a two-season order, with pre-production underway in Vancouver, and casting has begun.
God of War 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.
Emmy Award-winning director Frederick E.O. Toye (Shōgun, The Boys, Fallout) has signed on to direct the first two episodes of God of War. 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.
How do you feel about Hurst playing Kratos in God of War?