Amazon’s live-action adaptation of God of War has hit a major snag, with lead actor Ryan Hurst, who was going to play Kratos, suffering from a serious injury on set. According to Deadline, production on the show has been put on hold, with plans to replace Hurst for the role now underway.
Hurst suffered from a torn bicep, which happened while performing a stunt as part of the show. Since then, the actor has undergone surgery and is currently in the recovery stage. In the meantime, the production of God of War is on hiatus as the crew looks for a new actor to take on the role. This is due to the fact that Hurst is expected to be out of action for between 4 and 6 months, which is typical for a bicep tear and subsequent surgery. As such, the actor is unlikely to have been capable of resuming filming for the role until 2027.
There has been no announcement made yet about who will play Kratos in the live-action adaptation. The rest of the cast, which includes Callum Vinson (Atreus), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), and Alastair Duncan (Mimir), will not be seeing any changes.
Hurst was originally announced for the role of Kratos back in January. The actor is well-known to fans of the God of War franchise thanks to his portrayal of the Norse God of Thunder, Thor, in God of War Ragnarok. The role even got him a BAFTA nomination. Aside from the game itself, Hurst is also known for his roles in Remember the Titans (Gerry Bertier) and Sons of Anarchy (Opie Winston). His most recent work had him take on the role of the Mentor in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
The live-action adaptation of God of War will revolve around the 2018 release and its sequel, with Kratos and his son Atreus needing to embark on a journey to scatter the ashes of Faye – their wife and mother, respectively – off the highest mountain in the realms. While the journey itself plays out, much of the story will revolve around Kratos learning how to be a better father to Atreus, and the two bonding as the latter learns the truth of his heritage.
Popular characters from both games, like the Huldra brothers Brok and Sindri – as played by Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka, respectively – will also show up in Amazon’s show.
While the fate of the show is currently unknown, Amazon has ordered two seasons for it, which would likely help in adapting the massive story beats that take place over the course of both games.
As for the games, Sony and developer Santa Monica Studio recently unveiled God of War Laufey, which will revolve entirely around Faye and the adventures she experiences after having died while exploring the afterlife of the Gods, known only as the Everywhen. God of War Laufey doesn’t yet have a release date, but rumors indicate that it might be coming out early next year.
