Dave Bautista is in negotiations to play Kratos in Amazon’s live-action God of War series, according to Deadline and Variety. The former WWE Champion would take over the lead role from Ryan Hurst, who exited the production after suffering a serious on-set injury.
Hurst tore his bicep while performing a stunt in late June, four months into filming. He underwent surgery, and the show paused production immediately following the injury. Sources indicate roughly four completed episodes will need to be reshot with a new lead.
The series is based on the PlayStation franchise and comes from writer, executive producer, and showrunner Ronald D. Moore. Filming began in February in Vancouver on a two season order, and prep on the recast version is expected to start in mid August ahead of a mid October production restart.
Bautista’s Wrestling Background Cited As An Asset
Multiple outlets reporting on the talks point to Bautista’s background as a former professional wrestler as a reason he could step into the physically demanding role on a compressed prep schedule. He is also set to appear in the Highlander reboot alongside Drew McIntyre, playing the villain Kurgan.
Bautista broke out in WWE before building a Hollywood career that includes Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first two Dune films, and Army of the Dead. No deal for the Kratos role has been finalized.
God of War follows Kratos and his son Atreus, played by Callum Vinson, as they journey to spread the ashes of Kratos’ wife Faye. The supporting cast includes Mandy Patinkin, Ed Skrein, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson.
